


Rainy Days

by mclavghlin



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: M/M, rhink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-27
Updated: 2015-12-28
Packaged: 2018-04-11 15:12:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 46,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4440692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mclavghlin/pseuds/mclavghlin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rhett and Link set out for a week-long road trip, but the events that begin to unfurl force their intentions to change quite rapidly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> At the time I'm writing this, there are 14 chapters written for this fic. The first few chapters basically serve as character development and establishing the state of Rhett and Link's relationship. Although I did need to reserve some space in the beginning to tamper around with Rhett and Link's characters, it isn't so drastic I'd consider it an AU.  
> I'd also like to mention that this fic is not and will never be explicit. I wanted to take on the task of writing an ace-friendly multi-chapter fic since those seem to be few, or even nonexistent. There will be little to no sexual connotation in this fic. This is definitely not meant to attack those who write explicit fics (because obviously, many people enjoy those, and that's fine!), but this is simply to provide for those of us who are disinterested or repulsed by the nature of those fics.

Having always been mesmerized by the qualities of rain, Rhett sat in the passenger’s seat of the truck staring blankly out of the window and into a vacant, grey parking lot. In front of him was a short sidewalk, mercilessly eroded by the weather, adjacent to a small tattered building that Link had entered just minutes before. Bullets of rain drilled into the hood of the truck to produce the constant sound of fireworks, and the muffled reverberation of thunder would occasionally roll through the clouds. Despite the entrancing nature of the consistent pattering, Rhett began to grow impatient of Link’s absence. He drummed his fingers on the seat.

Sooner than Rhett had anticipated, Link emerged from the entrance door of the building. He stood beneath a cheap awning in hesitation for moment, holding in his hand what appeared to be a brochure encased in a clear envelope. The rain continued to pummel down without remorse, and so Link lifted the acquired package over his head through his brief trip to the vehicle. In his other hand he carried a plastic bag, which he gripped at the top to prevent utterly drowning out its contents. Upon opening the truck’s door, he piled himself up into the driver’s seat and immediately slammed it shut.

“Whoo!” he exclaimed, wiping droplets from the plastic casing of what Rhett now saw was a map. “You don’t see this kind of thing in LA every day.” Link slid the paper out with ease and folded it open.

“Yeah,” Rhett agreed. They were on a road trip for the week, just to two of them, mostly to get away from the business aspect of their relationship that had so gradually slithered in between them. “I’m glad we’re headed north. I’m gettin’ real sick of the heat.”

Link glared at him playfully. “It actually feels really nice out there right now, besides the rain.”

“Well, rain cools the air down,” Rhett stated matter-of-factly, “but it makes it so humid you can’t breathe.”

“You’re not wrong.” Link studied the map, tracing his finger along the various roads around their location. “ _Turn right onto I-15…_ ” he muttered. There was no particular destination in mind – but for whatever reason, they’d settled on Utah to spend their time visiting around various places, just to be in a refreshing environment. “Alright, I guess we’re just gonna get on the interstate and turn off on whatever exits might tickle our fancy. Just speak up if you wanna visit somewhere, sound good?”

“Cool with me,” Rhett affirmed. The morning sun was shrouded within the clouds, but its rays still bled through somewhat. Rhett glimpsed at the clock on the dash; 7:43. The atmosphere of the situation made him nostalgic, vivid flashbacks of eagerness on the road to a thrill-inducing destination as a child. The air always felt just a bit sweeter – a bit more worth breathing – as it inundated his lungs in electrifying anticipation. Even now, he still felt a level of excitement that was probably inappropriate given his age, but Rhett was comfortable admitting he was still childlike at heart.

Link refolded the map and stuck it between the seat and console. He then bent over and jostled his hand within the plastic bag he’d retrieved from the building. From it, he pulled out a small, colorful pouch. “Got you some trail mix,” he arose and handed it to Rhett with a tired smile.

Breaking eye contact, Rhett accepted the gift. “Thanks, Link!” His tone was rather awkward, but Link had grown accustom to it after so long. Again, he smiled, but this time it was more flat.

Link stuck a set of keys into the ignition and started the vehicle. “Alright, let’s get goin’.” Rhett noticed an odd dampness to Link’s mood, but decided against saying anything. After all, it wasn’t even 8 in the morning, so he figured his friend was probably just tired. The vehicle backed out into the lot and made its way to the road.

A long stretch of twisting and turning on circuits of roads led to light conversation that seemed to brush the weather out of the equation. Link had slowly lightened up, his smile contagious. When they finally reached the interstate, the clock read 9:12 – had it really been over an hour of navigating the streets of Los Angeles in reminiscence? Rhett pondered the fact. The windshield wipers zipped by on second-to-highest speed as drops of rain battered the glass in quarter-sized splashes.

Link kicked the gas down in the acceleration lane, taking full advantage of the unusual lack of traffic while merging onto the road. Grin in full effect, he looked entirely pleased. “Alright now, according to my calculations we’ll be on the road for about six hours before we even reach the southern border.” His eyes flicked over to Rhett after a brief silence. “So… let me know when you get hungry or need to go to the bathroom or whatever. Cool?”

“Sounds good, man.” Rhett observed Link’s motherly instinct kicking in, which caused him to feel slightly dependent – a trait that Rhett resented filing himself under. “We’re gonna switch off driving after a few hours, right?” he asked in an inconspicuous attempt to assert his self-sufficiency.

Link expressed a minute level of surprise at the offer. “Yeah, that’d be alright.”

Rhett leaned back in his seat, shutting his eyes for a while. The movements of the truck were smooth, and the sound of rain and constant whirring of the air conditioner had apparently lulled him to sleep, despite his resistance to doing so under such conditions. Groggy, he awoke to the sun beating warmly onto his jeans. He rubbed his eyes and stretched backwards, a needed relief for his back, which he hadn’t even realized was a cluster of aches.

Link looked over to his sleepy friend. “This your first time falling asleep in California and waking up in Nevada?”

Rhett simply laughed. “Not exactly… I’ve had some crazy nights you wouldn’t believe, brother.”

“Oh, gracious.” Link brushed the hair out of his eyes. “So, you’ve been out for about four hours and I’m starving ‘cause I’m stupid and forgot to eat breakfast,” he complained, resting a hand over his stomach.

Rhett rose up. “I slept for four hours? What time is it?”

“Clock says 1:30… Which is weird, because you never sleep that late, or in a moving vehicle for that matter.” Link shot him a look that was a mixture of concern and confusion. “Did you sleep okay last night, Rhett?”

Rhett bit his lip. “Uh… I guess so, yeah.”

Link wasn’t buying it. “You sure there’s nothing on your mind?”

“Yeah, Link, I’m sure.” He smiled passively without making eye contact. There was always something on Rhett’s mind; he was the type of person to think about certain things for days without cease just to understand them. He loved to dissect the inner machinations of human emotion, strangely enough, both in general and on an individual level. He loved to hypothesize psychological theories of which he contained within his own powerhouse. That isn’t to degrade Rhett’s stability, however, because in all truthfulness, Rhett was the rock and Link was typically the storm. Rhett kept himself happy most of the time, almost in a way that insinuated blissful ignorance… but he could truly understand the deepest nooks and crannies of emotion – not by personal experience per se, but simply by observance.

Link’s expression was sympathetic. “You can sleep some more if you want, man. I don’t care to keep driving.”

The offer was tempting, as Rhett was exhausted, but he promptly declined. He had Link turn off at the next rest area where they could trade places for a few hours. Upon reaching the parking lot, Rhett was pleasantly greeted with the opportunity to stretch his legs and back, which felt so much more satisfying than the position in which he awoke. “Ooooh _man_ this feels incredible...” Rhett declared, eyes shut in contentment as all six feet and seven inches of him towered outside the truck.

Link sauntered over to Rhett’s side and pressed his back against the front door, just to Rhett’s left. He lifted his elbows to the top of the window in a rather awkward position as Rhett piled his forearms on the roof. Link crossed his legs beneath the shade of a young maple tree growing from the median in front of the lot. “I feel like I need to do like a hundred squats or something to get me prepared for this.”

Rhett chuckled under his breath, eyes wandering across the blacktop covering the mostly empty lot. “I think we can stop a little more periodically than every five hours.”

“Please,” Link begged. “ _My_ back hurts, I can’t imagine how you feel right now!”

Rhett considered for a moment, but found that he was quite content in terms of pain since he’d escaped from the seat he had himself crammed into. “I’m actually fine right now. Can’t say I’m eager to get back in though.”

Link nodded. They stayed there for about fifteen minutes to get any excess energy out of their systems before having to drive for another extended period of time, walking around and lunging to stretch out their muscles. Link ran his fingers imperiously through his obsidian hair. “You ready to go?”

“I s’pose,” Rhett acquiesced. Again they packed themselves into the vehicle, this time with Rhett as the chauffer, and advanced onto the interstate once more. Rhett noticed that Link had evidently refilled the gas tank during his slumber, the needle close to full, which was one less thing to worry about. He also noticed that Link was oddly silent after he’d taken over the job of driving. He opened his mouth to ask Link if he was alright, but as he looked over to the passenger’s seat he saw the limp body of an exhausted man leaning his head into the side of the door, mouth agape.


	2. Chapter 2

Rhett chuckled at the sight of the smaller man sleeping in such a position – it looked astronomically uncomfortable, but he could tell that Link was completely drained having driven Rhett around for five hours straight, so it was the least he could do to return the favor.

A few more hours passed and it occurred to Rhett in a surge of physical hunger that they’d skipped lunch altogether. At that time, the clock read 3:50, and rain was again pouring heavily on the windshield. The clouds above were black and showing no signs of discourse, so Rhett flipped the wipers on at full speed. He then proceeded to sneak a hand past Link’s left leg and grab onto the corner of the trail mix Link had purchased earlier to tide him over until the man woke up.

Sure enough, about an hour later, Link was awake. By then they were well into Utah, though Rhett didn’t know exactly where on the map since he hadn’t paid much attention to the mile markers.

Rhett smiled gleefully when he noticed Link squirming in his consciousness. “Rise and shine, buddy!”

Link rubbed the sleepiness from his eyes and groaned. “Goodness, Rhett, it’s almost 5 o’clock…”

“Yeah it is.” Rhett was unusually high-energy for the current circumstances. “This your first time falling asleep in Nevada and waking up in Utah?”

Link had a moment of realization. “We finally made it to Utah?”

“Yup. We’re pretty far into it, too. We passed the Bloomington exit just a few minutes after you fell asleep… that’s the first city coming up from the south.” Rhett noticed Link shifting his body around in discomfort. “You alright over there?”

Link folded his arms across the bottom of his chest and leaned back with his eyes shut. “Are you hearing my stomach right now?”

“Little bit,” he chuckled. “Let’s go get you something to eat.” The next exit looked promising – several fast food logos were printed on the sign. Rhett turned off there, reaching a stoplight at the bottom of the decline. Taking a shot in the dark, he turned left onto a small-town road, which proved to be a decent choice. Just a mile up the road, he found a cluster of restaurants illuminated in neon contrast to the storm clouds. “You have a preference? I’m kinda feeling KFC.”

Link was apathetic in response: “Yeah, I don’t care. I just want something half-digestible.”

“I feel you brother.” Rhett effortlessly entered the parking lot – there was no traffic anywhere. He found this oddly disturbing; it was rush hour, but in their (albeit brief) journey into the town, he’d only seen one other car on the road. KFC wasn’t overwhelmed with business either, planted lonesome in the center of an entirely vacant area of parking spaces. Rhett took this to his advantage, however, and drove alongside the building in an almost creeping fashion. “Know what you want?”

Link sluggishly rubbed his forehead. “Get a massive thing of mac and cheese. I will love you forever.”

“That it?”

Link thought for a second. “Yeah, that’ll be fine. What are you gonna get?”

Rhett smirked humorously and pursed his lips. “Breast.” Without a second thought, the two of them fell into harmonious laughter. Sometimes, it was the simplest things they said to one another that ignited a charged response.

They hadn’t realized the magnitude of their outburst until they found themselves stopped beside the drive-thru receiver. An awkward, distant voice sounded through the open driver’s window: “Welcome to KFC… what can I get for you this evening?”

Slightly red in the face, Rhett responded with his and Link’s requests, adding on two sodas and an order of biscuits. The young boy on the other end informed Rhett of the price and instructed him to pull up to the window. There, he paid and acquired a paper bag, which he handed to Link, accompanied with two large cups. As Rhett drove off, he scanned the roads for a place where they could sit in the truck and eat. He soon settled on occupying a parking space in front of a grassy patch of land covered in swaying trees and neatly trimmed hedges.

By that time, Link had already popped open the container of mac and cheese and stuck a black, plastic spork in the center. He lifted the first bite to his mouth, cheese strung everywhere, and was flooded with contentment. Rhett nibbled on a crispy portion of white meat, deep in thought as usual.

Antsy, Link began jiggling his leg and flicking his eyes around the scene. “I have never appreciated a Styrofoam container of lukewarm pasta and imitation cheese more than I am right now.”

For some reason, Rhett was caught slightly off-guard by the fact that Link had spoken. He slipped off his sandals and lifted his feet up into the seat, shifting his body around to face Link. He lowered his knees until they stretched from the middle of the seat to the bottom of the steering wheel. His back was uncomfortable in this position, and so he continued to squirm in the seat until he became moderately relaxed. Link was quite amused by the length of the process, letting out a guffaw before it was over. “What are you trying to do?!” he questioned, the apples of his cheeks pushed into his crystal eyes.

Rhett glanced innocently around the vehicle. “I just wanna look at you when I’m talking to you. That too weird or something?”

“No man, it’s cool.” Link retained a toothy smile. “Don’t hurt yourself though.”

Rhett squinted. “I know how to handle myself.”

“I know, I know.” Link still harbored a grin as he rolled his eyes and casually changed the subject. “You think it’s ever gonna stop raining?”

Water was flowing peacefully over the windows to the extent that no objects outside of the vehicle’s casing could be made out. “I dunno about you but I kind of enjoy it. It was raining the whole time you were asleep, too.”

“Rain’s alright, I guess. It makes me so sleepy though.”

“You’re still tired?” Rhett furrowed his brow.

Link nonchalantly faced the ground. “I guess. I’ve just been a little out of it all day, really.”

Rhett had indeed noticed a minor skewing of Link’s demeanor throughout the day; it was as if he’d been going in and out like a radio signal. He was an array of emotions, too, not just up and down – he’d gone from giggly to exhausted and from ecstatic to uninvolved. This had always constituted a small portion of Link’s disposition, but he tended to have some days where it was more extreme, and Rhett assumed it was one of those days from the get-go. He hadn’t brought it up since he knew it would have upset Link – it was a catch-22. Rhett watched his friend intently, as if to analyze him. “You alright, buddy?”

Link’s eyes popped up in surprise at the concern. “Oh, yeah, I’m fine! Just a bit of an off-day, I think.” Rhett saw that Link’s food was only about half gone, but he’d already begun picking at it.

_Yeah, I’ve noticed,_ Rhett nearly said, but decided against sounding like a know-it-all. “I understand. Sorry about that.” He rested a firm but gentle hand on his friend’s knee – a slightly awkward gesture considering the position he was in, but nevertheless Link appeared appreciative of his company.

It took less than ten minutes for them to fully finish eating, Rhett having to consume some of Link’s leftovers, and soon enough they were back on the road. The sky was still black, almost no sunlight escaping through to the Utah scape. Link’s head was rested against the seat once more, and at that Rhett decided he and Link had both driven enough that day. Tonight, they’d stay in this town – whatever the name of it was – and they’d carry on the rest of the week in exploration.

At just 6:30, Rhett had parked outside of the hotel they’d stay in for the night. _Maybe tomorrow, Link’ll feel a bit better._


	3. Chapter 3

Rhett shut off the vehicle’s engine and looked somberly over to the passenger’s seat, his dark-haired friend draped lethargically within. He sighed, out of both boredom and rising concern. Rhett began to chew his bottom lip as he opened the truck door and made his way to the entrance of the building. In the lobby, he spoke with the concierge for a moment and paid to obtain a key to their room on the third floor. He thanked the man and walked back outside to gather Link and their belongings.

Rhett opened the passenger’s side softly, so as not to startle Link. He landed a hand on the man’s shoulder and shook him awake. “Hey buddy,” he spoke quietly, “you can sleep in a bed now if you want.”

Link awoke and looked at Rhett, but appeared to look through him at the same time. His eyes were red. “Alright,” he managed to say. His glasses had slid halfway down his nose, which Rhett found to be endearing. Link made his way out of the door, slow and languid. “Pop the trunk.”

Rhett assimilated their bags onto his arms and shut the trunk back. The rain was much lighter than it had been, but if he hadn’t known any better he’d have thought it was midnight. Link slithered over to where Rhett was, receiving a worn, blue duffel bag with his initials embroidered on it. He forced a smile.

Once they’d gotten up to their room, Link had called dibs on the bed next to the window. Within seconds of entering, he’d kicked off his shoes and collapsed on the bed. His body rested in a decrepit heft, pieces of greasy hair tousled along the width of a pristine pillow. His bag was positioned lopsided at the foot of the bed. Rhett closed the door behind him, not bothering to flip on a light. He ran a tense hand through the side of his hair. On one hand, he didn’t want to disturb Link any more that night, but on the other hand he felt obligated to check in with him.

And so he did. Rhett shuffled his feet across the stiff carpet floor and sat softly on the other side of Link’s bed, carefully laying down beside him. The flimsy springs creaked underneath his weight as Link curled into a tighter ball facing the window. Rhett squeezed firmly on Link’s shoulder, eyes timid. “You doing okay?” Link craned his head around to look at Rhett, but found the position difficult to maintain and proceeded to shift onto his back, resting the side of his face against his upper arm. Rhett assumed this as an invitation to talk. He scooted a few inches closer and placed a forearm on Link’s hip, fingers brushing faintly against his back. Rhett’s smile was modest.

Link’s charismatic eyes fluttered in surprise of the proximity between himself and Rhett. “I’m sorry, man. I’m not much fun right now.” He broke eye contact. “I’m a little zoned, still. I don’t really wanna go to bed though, ‘cause then I’d mess up my sleeping schedule and wake up all hyped at like two in the morning.” Link rubbed a lethargic hand across the side of his face, awkwardly pushing his hair back.

“Yeah, I know the feeling.” Rhett’s eyes wandered across the wall in silence for a moment, when he was suddenly stricken with an idea, at which point his piercing gaze landed softly in line with Link’s. “Would you be up for watching a movie? You might be able to stay up if you’re concentrated on something.”

At last, Link’s face lit up into a smile. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

“Alright, Link.” Rhett lightly pinched his friend’s back and pushed himself into an upright position. Link did the same, palms jutted into the springy bed.

Rhett stood up. His heels and lower back ached beneath his stature, so he clasped his fingers behind his hips and leaned backwards, followed by an orchestra of audible pops. He then made his way to a brown suitcase parked adjacent to the opposite bed and proceeded to loosen his belt and lower his khaki shorts down to his ankles. Then bending down, he fished around the compartments of the suitcase where he found his laptop and a pair of striped pajama pants, which he threw onto the bed. Rising back up, he grabbed the cotton pants and slipped them on with ease.

Link watched intently as Rhett grabbed the silver laptop and flipped on the light switch. A sudden luminescence blared from overhead translucent bulbs, causing Link to squint his eyes.

“Too bright?”

Link’s skin shone in the glare. “Nah, it’s fine. Get over here.” He dropped a welcoming hand onto the bed.

“Start that up for me.” Rhett sat the computer in Link’s lap and yanked two pillows out from under the tucked blankets. He balanced them up against the backboard, using Link’s shoulder as a buffer, and collapsed into his designated spot on the bed. The sides of their bodies were pushed together, but neither seemed to mind. Rhett sunk down into the covers until he was at Link’s height.

“Ugh,” Link groaned impatiently. His head fell onto Rhett’s shoulder, struggling to stay awake. Rhett loosened his arm and wrapped it around Link’s shoulders, allowing his face to crash into his upper chest. Link laughed quietly and looked up to Rhett. “What do you wanna watch?”

Rhett hadn’t thought about it much. “You have anything in mind?”

Link crinkled his face into a thoughtful expression. “Would you be willing to watch a horror movie with me?”

“Um…” Rhett’s skin began to chill at the thought. “You know I’m not… really into that kind of thing.” He glanced down to the top of Link’s head. “We could catch up on How I Met Your Mother if you wanna do that.”

Link complied. “I’m into that. We’ll probably have to watch half a season’s worth before going to bed if we wanna wake up past the crack of dawn… but I ain’t complainin’. I love this show.” Link typed the show’s title into the search bar and hit play, episode one loading ever so slowly.

“6:58,” Rhett read from the bottom right corner of the screen. “You can make it a couple hours, buddy.”

“I certainly hope so.” He buried his head further into Rhett’s side. Rhett could feel the snagging friction of Link’s hair against the fabric of his shirt. After a few more seconds passed, the opening scene began to play.

Until eight-thirty, the two of them stayed awake and watched the show, but at some point during the fourth or fifth episode, Link had fallen asleep. He was still wedged between Rhett’s right arm and body, but had then slung an arm across the other man’s chest. Link’s snoring was light, but hardly noticeable as Rhett used his free arm to place the laptop into the floor beside him. Outside, the wind was whipping around the building and the sky outside the window was entirely black. Rhett himself began to feel tired by that point. The last thing he remembered that night was rubbing the straggly hairs out of Link’s face and passing out beneath his weight – and somehow, unconsciously, Link seemed to smile.


	4. Chapter 4

A light sleeper, Rhett was typically awake when his physical senses had been even mildly perturbed. Though at first he didn’t know why, he awoke in the blatantly early hours of the morning, and at that in complete darkness; the only source of light was a vague, orange softness flowing as a plastic glare through the open window. He began to pick up on the violent storm outside, winds whipping sheets of water across the area and orbs of raindrops pelting the tin roof in a deafening pandemonium. Soon, Rhett’s ability to reason emerged. The hotel’s power had evidently been knocked out – but didn’t hotels generally have a backup generator? A thick bolt of lightning crashed what seemed to be meters from the window, sending Rhett into an immediate panic. He’d always been afraid of storms, but such an encounter sent his fear through the roof. His primary instinct was to protect Link, and so he did.

Wide eyed, Rhett attempted to fortify his shaky arms as he rattled his friend awake. “LINK!” His voice was nothing short of yelling.

Within a second or so, Link jolted away from Rhett’s touch, but soon came to his senses – Rhett would have only woken him in such a manner had there been in an urgency. Link, despite his exhaustion, bolted upright and granted Rhett his attention. “What’s the matter?”

Neither man could see much of anything besides one another’s outline and nebulous depiction of a face. Rhett dipped his head down and searched for Link’s wrists. Once he found them, he latched onto them tightly, digging his thumbs into the bone. His voice quaked, but he was trying to quell his anxiety for Link. “It’s… it’s stormin’ real bad out there. We have to go.”

Link was typically unphased by storms, but even he’d have to admit this one was bad. He loosened one of his wrists and began to rub behind Rhett’s shoulder in a circular motion. “No… listen, it’s okay. It’ll blow over here in a few minutes. Just relax, Rhett.” A bellow of thunder resounded from nearby, sending a brutal vibration through their bodies. Rhett flinched, and Link proceeded to wrap him in an embrace. “We’ll be okay, I promise,” he whispered, continuing to comfort Rhett with his soft touch.

Initially, Rhett felt ridiculous. Time had seemed to slow down. His stomach felt sick, his body was quivering, his knees felt numb – and it seemed he was only being held together by his best friend, all because of a mere thunderstorm. He wanted to pull away to preserve his masculinity, but he decided to remain beneath the warmth of Link’s therapeutic arms. Rhett reasoned that Link knew him inside and out, and at that point realized that he had nothing to hide.

Soon, though, Link ended the embrace with a soft cup of Rhett’s shoulder. The storm had died down significantly – there hadn’t been any lightning for a long while and the sound of thunder gradually became more distant. Rhett was noticeably less tense at the muffled sounds of rain clouding atop the building. The room was still dark, but he could feel Link’s reassuring smile from the other side of the bed.

Link brushed a hand against Rhett’s thigh. “You gonna be okay?”

“Yeah…” He drummed his fingers on the bed. “Thanks, Link. I… I appreciate that.”

Link’s laugh was humble and hardly audible.

“I usually don't get all that worked up,” he continued. “I’m sorry about that, brother. Waking you up in the first place was probably a mistake.”

“Oh, Rhett, listen to you! You know as well as I do you wouldn’t’ve even woke me up if you didn’t have a good enough reason.”

Rhett considered that for a moment. Link knew Rhett’s pride came from his sense of dominance, and he always knew what to say in times of his perceived inadequacy. “You’re right, Link. I’m pretty great,” he laughed.

“No joke, yeah.”

Rhett could tell Link’s sleepiness was getting the best of him. “How about you go back to bed, buddy.”

“Yeah, I’ll… I’m gonna do that, Rhett.” He jammed his hands into the bed and leaned backwards into a stack of pillows, still barely visible to Rhett’s eye. “Good night. We’ll talk in the morning.”

“Okay, Link. G’night.”

Despite his friend’s kindness in situations like these, Rhett still detested moments of weakness. Nevertheless, he was always quick to guide Link through rough patches along the way – since he could remember, he’d been Link’s stronghold. Rhett always found it in him to feel responsible for his best friend, and to protect him at all costs, but this unconditional gift was limited to Link. For the better half of an hour, Rhett was awake in nostalgic thought, right beside his snoring companion. Besides the now soft rain and faraway thunder, he was alone in his own labyrinth of a mind. Memory after memory began to overwhelm his thoughts, but one in particular was planted in the center of his focus.

_The evening was overcast and dreary from outside of the dorm’s window. He sat close by Link on the small bed, allowing the boy to rest his head on his lanky shoulder. Link’s hair was short but soft, prickling lightly into Rhett’s neck. Autumn was drawing to a close, cool breezes and frosted leaves bringing along with them the winter’s plague – and a physical illness that had afflicted Link._

_Rhett’s apparent immunity to general illness provided him with the ability to care for Link in his sickness, and this time was no different. That particular evening was the one where Link suspected he’d fallen ill, and so he’d called upon Rhett to feel his forehead. “You’re burning up…” he’d said with a concerned expression._

_At that point, Link crashed his head in the curvature of Rhett’s neck. “And I don’t feel well. At all.” His breath was warm against Rhett’s skin. “My stomach’s in knots.”_

_Rhett lifted a hand that feebly clasped onto Link’s side. “Sounds like the virus got ya. I’m sorry, buddy.” He pulled his fingers against his ribs. “Want me to take you to the doctor tomorrow?”_

_Link fell away from the taller boy’s grip. “Rhett, you’ve got classes tomorrow… and I’ve got classes tomorrow…” Suddenly, the fear in Link’s eyes skyrocketed. “I can’t afford to miss that final in Rayburn’s.”_

_Rhett’s eyebrows fell. “Well, you can’t go to class in the shape you’re gonna be in tomorrow.”_

_“I know…” Link brought his face down into his open hand, frustrated and anxious. “What am I gonna do about the final, though?” His breathing, to Rhett, was noticeably erratic._

_“I’ll talk to him, Link.” Rhett took hold of Link’s shaking wrist, causing him to look up into Rhett’s eyes. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll get it all figured out.”_

_Link looked down to his crossed legs and nodded. “Thanks, man.” There was a momentary silence before he decided to elaborate on his disposition, noticing the dissatisfaction lingering in Rhett’s expression. “I don’t understand how some people don’t get worried about things as bad as I do.”_

_Rhett’s eyes were wide. “I think the same thing about people who let such little things get to them. It can’t be good for you.”_

_“I wish I could control it.” Link’s hands dropped to his lap. “I don’t really know how to explain why. It’s like… there’s no fine line to me, really, the little things and the big things have no distinction. You get what I’m saying?” He looked up to Rhett solemnly, continuing after a patient nod. “And just… I know in my mind, ‘Yeah, there’s a foreseeable solution here and I’ll make it’, but it’s like my subconscious doesn’t get it. There’s a disconnect or somethin’.”_

_Rhett tried to look understanding as he squeezed his friend’s hand. “Sometimes when I look at you after something’s happened, I can tell you’re panicking. You’ve learned to hold yourself together pretty well, brother.” He paused, making sure Link was still listening. “But that doesn’t mean you don’t need help.”_

_The other boy sighed. “I’m so tired of fighting it.”_

_“I know you are.”_

_Link’s eyes began to tear up, his lip quivering. “Why are you the only person who’s ever noticed?”_

_Before any tears could fall, Rhett gathered the small man before him tightly in his arms. “You’re my best friend. I care so much about you.” He squeezed Link until he felt the crevices of his ribs shaping the skin of his arms through a cotton t-shirt._

_Link attempted to reciprocate, lifting his hands to Rhett’s shoulder blades, and began to cry silently. His breaths were short, and Rhett could feel a dampness unfurling on his chest where Link’s face resided. He wished he could pull him closer, just to make sure Link knew he was there. He rubbed the top of his friend’s back sympathetically. “I’m right here, Link. I’ll always be right here.”_

_And he always was._


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the plot begins here! Now the story's a bit more pivoted around a central scenario than it is aimless rambling. :)

Rhett opened his eyes for the first time the next morning surprised to see the rain had stopped, although the clouds were still overhead. Link sat at the edge of the other bed, adorning his Pluto shirt and a grey cardigan. Using a travel mirror, he combed through drenched tufts of his ebony hair. The room was humid, and a manly scent wafted from the direction of the bathroom. As much as Rhett desired to go back to sleep, he decided against it as a result of both back pain and knowing he had to get ready. Slowly, he arose.

Link turned around, an almost dazed expression plastered on his face. “Morning. Did you sleep okay?”

Rhett scratched towards the back of his messy hair. “Well enough, I guess. My back’s killing me,” he squinted.

“Oh…” Link frowned. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’ll make it.” He forced an assuring laugh. “It’s just these blasted beds. They don’t exactly do wonders for people big as a doorframe.”

Link returned his gaze to the mirror. “I guess not.”

Rhett ran a hand through his sweaty hair and wiped it on his shirt. “I’m gonna take a shower. When are we leaving?”

“Uhh…” the clean shaven man glanced at the clock. “Well it’s 7 right now, I guess we’ll just go when you’re done.” Link looked back up to Rhett, wincing at the light just above his head.

“Sounds good.” Rhett gathered a collection of toiletries in a plastic bag and a stack of clothes from his suitcase, squatting down to his knees as opposed to bending over. “I’ll be out in a few,” he declared, heading towards the bathroom.

The shower itself was fairly uneventful – white tub, silver faucet, seashell wallpaper. Rhett proceeded to heat the water to an almost unbearably hot temperature, basking in the warmth that drizzled down his body. He remained beneath the shower head, lathering and rinsing, for about twenty-five minutes before finally drying off and clothing himself. He clipped a few straggly hairs from his face to ensure proper beard maintenance and ran a razor quickly over his neck line. He’d yet to apply product to his hair, fluffy curls sticking messily against his forehead, when he heard the thick sound of a blunt crash from the bedroom. At first, he froze, but only for the slightest moment – Rhett forced a hand down upon the door handle beside him and ripped it open, flying out in a dash.

What he first observed on the scene was much to his relief, as Link wasn’t hurt, but was at the same time significantly disconcerting. The smaller man stood faced against the corner of the room, one arm folded across his chest and the opposite hand placed feebly against his face. Rhett then saw Link’s phone lying face down on the carpet, just below a small indentation of chipped paint on the wall. Although Link knew he was in the room, he avoided acknowledging Rhett and buried his face further into his trembling hand. Rhett’s knees wobbled from shock.

“Dammit, Link…” he muttered just beneath his breath, unsure if Link could hear him – or if he cared to. Rhett strode hurriedly over to his friend’s side, stooping slightly to make eye contact. Only then did Link respond to his efforts, eyes rimmed red as he stared gravely at the unsettled man before him. Rhett’s mouth opened to speak, but he couldn’t initially unearth the words he wanted to say. Eyebrows fallen, he tried again. “What happened, man?”

Link didn’t attempt to speak. He simply wrapped his convulsing arms around Rhett as if to hold himself up. He began bawling into Rhett’s chest, his breaths shuddering. Rhett enclosed the smaller man in a one-arm embrace while his other hand rested on his shoulder ruffling his hair. Link’s grip was fastened securely, holding onto his best friend with fervent desperation. Eyes widened in panic, Rhett was nothing short of completely alarmed. It was common of Link to be fragile, but Rhett rarely saw him in this state. He felt as though Link was shattering in his arms and that no amount of his tactile reassurance was pulling him back together. Link’s weight became heavier and heavier, and soon Rhett’s knees gave out and the two men were forced down into the floor.

Link was positioned impotently on his knees, leaning without effort into the crook of Rhett’s neck. His sobbing had become increasingly weaker – a sign of improvement. Still, Rhett continued to hold him close and rub soft but firm circles on his back. “ _Shh…_ ” he whispered, “ _It’s okay, it’s okay, I’m here…_ ”

Hands still shaky, Link managed to lift himself off of Rhett and slump over just above his knees. His breathing was irregular. Rhett placed a hand beneath Link’s chin and guided his head up. Link’s eyes were puffy and bloodshot, his face shining under a layer of salty tears. He looked down to the floor. “I can’t cry anymore,” his voice quaked in an unusually high pitch. His chin quivered.

As much as Rhett wanted to pull the man back into an embrace, he fought the urge and settled for gripping Link’s hand. He spoke with utmost sincerity, eyes welled up with tears at the sight of seeing his best friend in such a condition. “Link, what happened?”

Before trying to speak, Link sniffed and lifted his free hand instinctively up to his face. He struggled to make eye contact with Rhett as he offered justification for his breakdown. “My mom… she got in a real bad wreck last night…” he paused to collect himself, but ended up losing his composure once more and collapsed into Rhett, who pulled him in with open arms.

“Oh, Link…” Rhett dug his chin into the other man’s shoulder and squeezed him tight.

Link whimpered quietly, his crying muffled by Rhett’s body. “Louis called,” he gasped, “they’ve got her in the ICU… she still hasn’t woken up…”

Rhett could feel Link’s lungs heaving erratically from under the ribs of his back. “ _Breathe, Link, just breathe_ ,” he spoke quietly, a warm fog of breath escaping onto the other man’s neck. “ _I’m right here._ ”

At that, Link curled his head deep into Rhett’s chest, forceful sobs ripping through his body as helpless convulsions. Rhett felt completely useless in terms of aiding the situation, but also found that his company likely meant the world to Link, though he probably didn’t realize it. Thought after thought shot around in his mind, yet he remained faithful in providing comfort for the broken man in his arms. At his own pace, Link began to relax in a physical sense, his breathing and capricious shaking returning close to normal. The episode lasted for around fifteen minutes altogether and ended as Link arose for the final time, elbows jabbed into Rhett’s knees for support. His face was a dark shade of pink, cheeks glistening. Rhett examined him sympathetically as he failed to meet his gaze. He bent down and placed a soft kiss on Link’s forehead, mustache prickling back into his upper lip as he stroked the back of his friend’s hair. Rhett continued to run a careful hand up and down Link’s back when he finally returned a painful glance.

Rhett could see that Link’s mind was flushed with anxiety – a telltale sign that he likely wouldn’t be able to think straight. Notwithstanding his own fearfulness, Rhett broke into a comforting smile. “Listen… I promise you it’s all gonna work out. Just like everything always has.”

Link pursed his lips in silence. It was fairly evident that he was doing what he could just to fight another breakdown, as he seemed to avoid speaking altogether.

In an awkward attempt to determine what the near future held, Rhett cupped his hands around Link’s knees while he offered a plausible plan for that day’s events. “Alright, Link, how does this sound… I’ll drive us back to LA today and we’ll fly back home tomorrow and see her. Okay?”

Link was quiet for a moment, but answered adamantly when he did. “Okay, Rhett.”

As Rhett pumped more thought into the situation, concerns began to bubble. “You’ll, uh… probably want to leave Christy and the kids home, you know.”

A pause. “I know.”

“Alright…” Rhett breathed, consoled by the fact that Link was at least communicating at this point. “Alright. If you’ve got yourself together, we can head on out and get back by six or seven.”

“Okay.” Link nodded to the floor. Rhett rose to his feet and grabbed his friend by the forearm to pull him up. For a solid ten seconds, Link looked up to the taller man as if to examine him for the first time that morning. With suddenness, he wrapped his arms around Rhett’s upper torso and fell into his chest. “Thank you, Rhett.”

His back ached tremendously having just gotten out of the floor, but he reciprocated nonetheless. “No problem.” He landed a soft pat on Link’s back. Rhett allowed Link to break the hug off, which he did after a few moments, and he casually rubbed the smaller man’s arm. “Let’s get our stuff together and get outta here.” Link nodded in affirmation.

It only took a couple minutes of gathering their belongings since they’d fallen asleep almost as soon as they entered the room. Rhett took a few seconds to style his hair and with that they were gone from the hotel and on the road back to Los Angeles. For the most part, Rhett remained worried for the majority of the journey, because little did he know what was truly among the other man’s thoughts. Despite his own anxiety and foresight of an invisible barrier forming between him and his best friend, he was quiet. Link didn’t need anything else to worry about.


	6. Chapter 6

About twenty minutes after they’d gotten onto the interstate, it had dawned on Link that he hadn’t yet informed his family they were coming home so soon. “I need to call Christy,” he insisted, pulling his phone from his pocket – only a small scratch, to Rhett’s surprise. Link scrolled through his contacts and hit Christy’s name. Rhett caught Link’s half of the conversation following the five-second pause after placing the phone against his ear.

“Hey… Lily? Is your mom there?” Link scratched his head. “Yeah, honey. Let me talk to her.” His voice was blatantly hoarse. Rhett took note of just how distressed he looked, obviously still talking to his daughter. “I’m, uh… I’m okay. Listen, put your mom on. I have to talk to her about something, okay? Okay, thank you dear. Love you.” Link’s chest heaved in a sigh.

There was a momentary silence from Link, who met Rhett’s eyes in a panic and covered up the speaker. “ _I don’t know what I’m gonna say!_ ” his voice was hushed.

“Just tell her what happened, that’s all you can do. You’ll be okay,” Rhett promised, noticing the minute shuddering of Link’s breaths.

In an abrupt manner, he turned away to look out the windshield. “Hey, Christy? It’s Link. You’re gonna have to bear with me, baby… No, no…” Almost crying, he bent over in the seat and clenched in his other hand a fistful of hair. “Yeah…” his voice was tremulous and pitched. “Christy, listen to me…” he cleared his throat. “Okay, okay. Last night around eleven my mom…” he paused, trying to contain a sob. “She got in a pretty rough wreck… No, she hasn’t woken up… I don’t know, babe. Louis called and told me… I don’t know… I don’t know.” Link’s hand was pressed firmly against his forehead buried beneath a flap of midnight bangs. “Me and Rhett are gonna fly back home tomorrow, that’s the plan… Yeah… Yeah… Will you be okay if I leave you with the kids?... Okay, babe… Okay. I love you so much… Thanks… I’ll try, I will. You tell the kids I love ‘em, okay?” A pure smile was perched on his lips. “Thank you, dear. I’ll be okay… Bye. I love you.” Link kept the phone at his ear for a couple of seconds until Christy hung up, then slipped it back into his pocket. Tense, he leaned back into the seat in an attempt to relax. “My heart’s racing.”

Rhett’s eyes remained locked on the road. “That’s just nerves, Link. Try and calm down a little.”

Taking a deep breath, Link made a point to alleviate the tension that had built up with such acridity in his body. His hands were folded neatly atop his thighs and his eyes had shut. Minutes passed without conversation, both too drained to engage. After so long, though, Link furrowed his brow and slammed his head against the headrest.

Startled, Rhett’s eyes darted to the right. “You okay?”

“It won’t stop…”

Rhett became slightly more alarmed at the cryptic response. “What, Link?”

The other man was scrunched into the seat, arms folded and fists clenched with his head pointed towards the truck’s ceiling. “My chest, man. It keeps pounding.” Rhett detected that Link’s breathing had become gradually heavier, another constituent towards his worry.

Although he was trying not to sound overly fearful, Rhett’s voice was abundant and thunderous. “I’m pulling over,” he declared, averting the vehicle to the paved shoulder parallel to the road. After parking the truck, he immediately pivoted his attention around Link, who was now hunched over and clasping his upper torso.

“ _I can’t breathe,_ ” he croaked.

"You’re panicking, Link. Calm down, calm down...” Rhett grasped his friend’s hand without a second thought. Link’s nails dug into Rhett’s skin, pinching ruthlessly to the bone as the smaller man trembled and shook with ferocity.

“ _I’m sorry_ ,” he gasped, head plunging into Rhett’s chest.

“Oh God, Link, it’s okay…” Rhett’s eyes filled with tears as his heart plummeted to his stomach. _I’m sorry,_ his mind repeated, saddened knowing that Link evidently depicted himself to be burdensome. “Take a deep breath. You’ll be okay. I promise.” Rhett caressed his hair, allowing the glossy wisps to fall steadily back to his neck.

They resided in silence at the side of the road for a few minutes, vehicles constantly whirring past. The morning sun soon faded behind the menacing dusk of a storm cloud that billowed monstrously atop the scape. Still, Rhett held Link close, fearing he’d already fallen asunder even beneath his embrace. Slowly but surely, Link’s breathing gradually returned to normal and he rose back up and into the seat. His fearful gaze fell into Rhett’s.

Rhett bit his lip and looked towards the ground. “I don’t want you fallin’ apart, brother.”

“I know, Rhett.” His nod was submissive. “I’m always fallin’ apart. Over stupid stuff. I wish I could be like you and get over it, y’know… but that’s not in me.” He sighed, hands clasped in his lap. “I’d get into it but that’s something else on its own. Right now I’m just worried sick about my mom.”

Rhett’s heart sank with a heft from each word Link said. Antsy, he scratched his head and straightened himself into a more comfortable position. “Alright, I’ll make it simple for you: just quit comparing yourself to people, period. You’re too incredible to be doing that to yourself.” His eyes darted up to Link, affirming that he was still paying attention. “And listen, it’s totally fine if you freak out. You have every right to. Just, please, tell me when it happens and we’ll deal with it, okay?”

Link’s eyes widened in appreciation. “Thank you, Rhett. So much.”

“No problem,” Rhett harbored a relieved smile. “No best friend of mine’s gonna go through hell without someone to help him through.”

“You more or less drag me,” Link huffed a self-conscious laugh. “I feel like I don’t even try.”

Rhett’s face contorted into an expression of fresh understanding. Although Link was more open with him than he was with anyone else, it sometimes seemed that many of his most deep-seated thoughts had yet to be disclosed, which bothered Rhett – both because he felt an air of distrust between them and because they affected Link in such deleterious ways. Finally, Rhett again began to console the shrunken man. “You’re a strong guy, Link. With all that happens to you, you have to be.” Rhett lifted a hand to Link’s neck and stroked his cheek with the smoothness of his thumb. “But bottom line, I’m always gonna be here and you can’t stop me from pullin’ you outta the rut. You mean far too much to me. I will _not_ watch you get hurt.”

Giving the blonde an interrogative once-over, Link concluded he was right. “Right back atcha, brother.”

A few seconds of silence fell between the two, interrupted by the light pattering of rain sounding on the windshield. In an awkward maneuver, Rhett adjusted himself into a driving position and flipped the wipers on. “Should we head on out?” his voice rose, buckling the seat belt.

“Whenever you’re ready,” Link permitted. And with that, Rhett shifted into drive and kicked the gas down.


	7. Chapter 7

As Link focused his exhausted gaze out the window, Rhett restlessly flipped around on radio stations. Static, country station, static, country station, static, static, static…

“Man just stick with something already!” Link’s head shot playfully towards Rhett.

Pulling his hand away from the dial, Rhett fell back into his seat. “ _She said I wanna see you again, but I’m stuck in colder weather… maybe tomorrow will be better, can I call you then?_ ” his gravelly voice belted along with the hazy radio.

Link grinned. “Zac Brown Band? Really?”

“Yeah, man! Ain’t nothin’ wrong with Zac Brown Band!” Rhett’s eyebrows sank as he leered in Link’s direction. “ _Got a gypsy soul to blame and you were born for leavin’…_ ”

“ _Born for leavin’…_ ” Link’s quiet voice harmonized with Rhett’s, a kindred smile fallen upon his lips. He remained sedentary in mind and body for the remainder of the song, entrancing melodies seeping into his ears and flowing as electricity through his soul. As the final notes of the piano played, Link veered his sight nonchalantly to his feet. “How long we been on the road?”

Rough mathematics churning through his mind, Rhett considered aloud. “We left around 8 if I’m not mistaken… so I guess right around three hours.”

“Mm. So it’ll probably take us another good seven hours to get back,” Link informed, leaning back into the leather seat. “Rhett?”

Caught by surprise at his change of tone, Rhett glanced to the right. “Yeah?”

“Uh,” Link’s voice was small and tainted with anxiety. “Do you think I should call Louis?”

Torn between Link’s ignorant bliss and his fair right to awareness, Rhett reasoned with him. “Well, Link,” he began, “I guess that depends whether you want to think everything’s okay or if you want to know if it actually is.”

Link frowned, knowing Rhett was right. “Yeah.” He pushed a hand in his pocket and pulled out his phone, filing through his contacts to find his stepfather. “I’ll put it on speaker,” his voice weakened, “just be quiet.”

“Can do,” Rhett acquiesced as the call sounded.

After three tones, Louis picked up. “Hey, Link.” The man’s voice was grim and sleepless, but Link’s expression didn’t budge.

“Hey, Louis. How’s Mom?”

A shuffled pause came through the line as static. “Ah, uh…” he broke through, “She’s, uh, woke up. But Link,” his voice suddenly changed pitch, “she can’t remember nothin’.”

With that, Rhett grasped the severity of the situation as he looked to Link’s face in a new light. As if by luck, though, he was a matter of two hundred yards from the next rest stop, which he immediately took advantage of and veered off onto the deceleration lane. He kept an eye on Link, who, despite the evident panic in his eyes, carried on talking as though he were only upset.

Link jammed a forearm against his stomach as his body began shaking. “How bad do you mean?”

“Can’t remember _nothin’_ ,” he repeated, this time emphasizing the word. “Don’t know who I am, where she is, don’t know she’s been in a wreck...”

Right as Rhett filed into a parking space, Link swore under his breath. “Is it temporary?” he fought to speak.

From the other end, Louis expelled a difficult sigh. “They don’t know yet… but it ain’t lookin’ too good from what I can see.”

“Oh…” Link’s face froze in shock.

An extended pause followed the news, and Louis finally spoke up. “You still there?”

“Yeah…” Link replied, out of breath from damming up a flood of tears. “I’m gonna, um… go think this through.”

“That’s all I’ve been doin’ today, I understand. Keep prayin’, now,” Louis insisted. “Love you, boy.”

Nearly bawling by that point, Link ended the call with a hardly audible “You too”. After doing so, his head fell into his arms, placed gingerly atop the dash. “ _God…_ ” he whispered, and began to sob quietly, though his body shook erratically from choppy breaths and unmitigated panic.

For a moment, Rhett simply watched the man alone in his breakdown without intervening. Link portrayed an interesting façade – as if he were trying to convince Rhett that he was only frustrated, and not brokenhearted. Because he knew better after three decades of friendship, Rhett leaned in beside Link’s shoulder and rubbed his back. “Come on, now. Let it all out.”

Unsteadily rising, Link did the exact opposite and leered at Rhett directly in the eye. His stare was near menacing, but behind it was the agonizing fear of uncertainty. His glasses were smudged.

Rhett’s eyes expressed utmost concern. “Link… seriously, you need to let loose of everything that’s built up. Just go with it, brother.”

He averted his eyes to the windshield, which was an indistinct wave of colors from the water so heavily washing down. “I can’t,” he spoke clearly, but not without tremor. “I can’t anymore. It’s exhausting me. I’m so tired of being tired.”

Rhett nodded understandingly, but in the back of his mind he was still worried that Link was concealing more than he could handle – and he felt as though he were buffering the man’s emotions by existing. He was bothered, but refrained from bringing it up given the circumstances and considered another route of comfort. “Okay, well c’mere,” he outstretched his arms towards Link, who dove into them without question. This time, however, Link’s grip hung weakly around Rhett’s ribs. Rhett’s chin dug into Link’s neck, black strands of hair tangling into his beard. His scent was breezy, but almost stale.

Hair flowing gracelessly along his neck, Link nuzzled with rigidity into the larger man’s chest. His muscles felt tremendously tense from under Rhett’s solicitous embrace, a disjointed breathing to accompany. Soon, Link’s forehead emerged onto Rhett’s collarbone, giving him room to talk above a muffled smother. “I don’t know what you see in me,” he said just over a whisper. “Whatever makes you want to walk through your life with some burden of a man is completely beyond me.”

Appalled at first, Rhett squeezed the man closer. “You’re the opposite of a burden, Link. You’re my best friend. I know you’d do the same thing for me if I was in your position.”

“Yeah, but you’re not,” he snickered hoarsely. “You’d never be in _my_ position. You’re tougher than that.” Link leaned back in his seat, eyes red. “Look at us. Can’t even get back to our families ‘cause I’m upset. I’m anxious. I’m this, I’m that.”

Rhett evaluated the situation and could clearly see where his friend was coming from – but thinking those things required a suspicion that Rhett didn’t love him entirely, which was a blatant invalidity. “You don’t think I care about you more than that? You think I want to just push your problems out this window,” he gestured, “because I want to get home and see my family? Let me ask you, Link, when have I ever been that selfish?”

The other shrugged, looking sadly to the floor. “I’m sorry, Rhett. I’m having a hard time looking at myself without thinking I’m a… parasite, to put it bluntly. It’s not that you’re selfish,” he confirmed, “because man, if you’re selfish, I’ve got a lot to repent for,” he let out a slight chuckle.

Though the rain bashed without remorse into the truck’s roof, Rhett’s smile glowed nonetheless. “We’ve all got plenty to repent for, brother. But even so, you’re caring and you’re strong. I don’t care what anyone else’s got to say about the matter, you listen to me.” His voice was firm. “But I’m gonna do whatever it takes to hold you together.”

Link expelled a steady sigh. “I don’t want you goin’ outta your way, now.”

“To hell with my way. If there’s a bump in the road I’m gonna grind it down.”

Suddenly, Link’s face illuminated with lightheartedness. “And how are you gonna do that?”

“Uh,” Rhett’s mood conformed to a more playful air, “I guess I’d use one of those construction pogo sticks. The ones that construction workers use to pound into cement.”

Link glared at him, experiencing secondhand ignorance. “Do you mean… a jackhammer?”

“ _A jackhammer!_ ” his eyes were wide and his face reddened. Both men fell into laughter – though it was difficult to tell how genuine it was. Link’s was quiet but toothy, and Rhett’s was comparatively loud.

As the amusement died down, Link turned his gaze to the window. “Sometimes I can’t believe you made it out of college alive, let alone with an engineering degree.”

Rhett smirked. “Me too, brother.”


	8. Chapter 8

“I’m hungry,” Rhett complained, hoping Link would feel the same.

Link’s eyes rested shut. “Go get yourself something then.”

“It’s almost two, dude. You’re not hungry?” Rhett’s intimidating gaze pierced Link’s.

“No, I am,” he began, “but I can’t eat right now. I’m so wired it’d just make me sick.”

Rhett spared a glance at Link and frowned. He didn’t seem to be terribly bothered, but Rhett saw through the fabrication. In a split-second decision, he turned off onto the next exit and began breaking. “You’ll be sick if you _don’t_ eat, brother.”

Link rolled his eyes and rested his elbow on the window. “Yeah, I guess. Really, my insides are a conglomerated mess of anxiety as we speak, so I don’t think it matters one way or another.” His tone was snappy, but Rhett bit his tongue and chose not to hold it against him.

“Okay,” Rhett sighed. “We’ll get you fixed up.” He approached a stoplight in a quite small town, taking in his surroundings. He turned to the right and drove for a couple minutes until he spotted a well-maintained local drugstore, where he parked neatly into the second space from the door.

Link was confused and somewhat weary, but Rhett slapped him comfortably on the knee in an effort to ground him. “I’ll be right back, buddy. Just try to chill for a few minutes.” Of course, Link complied.

Five minutes or so passed, Link half asleep in the passenger’s seat, as Rhett finally emerged from the streaky glass doors of the store. He carried in his hand a couple bags imprinted with the store’s logo and entered the truck, ducking his head on the hop in. He shut the door and planted the bags in his lap to retrieve their contents. A bit fatigued, Link peered over to his friend.

“I got you a few things,” he said, reaching into one bag and pulling out two green, glass bottles. He sat each of them in Link’s lap.

The sleepy man grabbed the bottles, which clinked together, and read their labels. “7-Up and ginger ale,” he laughed.

“And here,” his hand encased a white-capped, pink bottle. “I got some Pepto too. Thought it might soothe your tummy.” Bashfully, Rhett returned his smile.

Although his eyes were tired, Link expressed utmost appreciation. “Aw, Rhett. Thank you.”

“No problem, buddy,” he said genuinely. To lighten the mood, Rhett slipped out from another bag a rather large green and white box. “And wouldn’t you know, the drugstore doubles as a donut shop!”

Link’s grin widened. “You’re kidding!”

“Nah, man. Look at these babies,” he folded the box open to reveal an assortment of donuts sitting respectably upon a translucent paper sheet. Rhett prodded a sprinkled donut with careful fingers and lifted it up to his eye level. “I’m already lovin’ this. Look how gorgeous,” he asserted with a great deal of affection before sinking his teeth into the fried cake. A viscous glaze lingered on his lips as he swallowed. “Get yourself one, man!” he shoved the box in Link’s direction.

Link’s eyes flicked up to Rhett. “Maybe later. I just feel so… eugh.”

“Oh…” Rhett’s face contorted into an indication of mild concern. “Like… physically, emotionally?”

Shifting his body downwards, Link rested an elbow on the console, chin jutted into his palm. “A lot of both, to be honest with you. I’m just… really, really anxious.” He sighed. “I mean… who knows what that next call’s gonna say. Who knows when I’m gonna get it.”

Drops of rain fell gingerly from the sky, a slight reverberation baltering atop the roof. Rhett gave Link a brief once-over, noting an overall weight to his posture. “You’re making yourself sick.”

“No, Rhett,” he was quick to respond, “the anxiety’s making me sick. ‘Myself’ has got nothing to do with it,” he corrected with air quotes. Link buried his face in his hand, hair flow completely disrupted.

An expression of culpability on his face, Rhett felt genuinely guilty for accusing his friend of his problems. “I’m sorry, Link,” he spoke quietly, looking away from the other man. “I’m just worried about you.”

Link shook his head slowly. “I’m sorry for worrying you,” he replied with candidness. There was a lump in his throat.

The blonde softly backhanded him in the chest, choosing to speak rather loudly. “Don’t give me that. You know I care about you. You’d be worried for me if I was that heartbroken and you know it.”

With that, a great sigh heaved from Link’s chest. “And we both know there’s no way you’d let me get so worried about you. Just… Rhett, my anxiety ruins everything and it’s my own damn fault. I appreciate you trying to console me and everything but – “

“But nothin’,” Rhett cut him off. “You need to stop getting upset over this whole ‘strength’ thing. It’s a construct, like some rite of passage that supposedly determines your worth as a human being. But let me tell you one thing, Link, strength ain’t for nothin’ but show. But for what it’s worth, you’re a tough guy. How strong you are isn’t determined by how you get through things, it’s the fact that you do get through things and you learn.” He paused, lips pressed together, before continuing. “And listen to me, if you never listen to anything else I say, I want you to know this: your anxiety is not your fault. It’s a bump in the road that hinders your ability to function, sure. It’s a problem for you and I respect that and I wish you could feel better about it… but it’s completely beyond your control.” He outstretched his arm and ran a hand through Link’s hair. “You’ve got to trust me.”

Fortified by his friend’s advice and soothing touch, Link’s eyes welled up with tears that rolled heavily down his cheeks, which Rhett wiped away with calloused thumbs. “I really don’t think there’s anyone else in this world who has it in them to put up with me for thirty years and still want to put up with me.”

“ _’Put up with’_ ,” he repeated mockingly. “To be fair, I guess I could say the same thing about myself. But… I enjoy every waking moment with you. You keep me happy.” A dim bolt of lightning struck from miles away.

“You keep me sane,” Link smiled past his discomfort.

Rhett leaned in for a hug. Link accepted, his slick hair brushing against Rhett’s cheek. He squeezed the smaller man with more than typical force and cocked his head forward to rub his face against Link’s hair.

Suddenly, Link’s stomach erupted into a ferocious rumble, which could be heard past the tempestuous rain and whirring air conditioner. He remained nuzzled into Rhett’s neck. “I’m hungry,” he confirmed in a lingering tone.

Rhett chuckled and pushed the other man away. “You up for a donut then?”

“You say ‘donut’ funny,” Link remarked. “But yeah, please.”

Grabbing another for himself, Rhett offered the box to Link, who acquired a donut with chocolate icing. He dove it into his mouth and chewed with a vast thoroughness. They both continued to eat in silence, Rhett of course finishing first. Link managed to consume about half of his before dropping it back into the box and turning to watch a pod of water droplets race hastily down the window.

Rhett folded the box and tossed it into the back seat, and then proceeded to fix his sight on Link. “You alright, buddy?” he questioned, brow furrowed.

Lethargic, Link turned his head towards Rhett. “I’ll be okay,” he nodded.

“Right,” Rhett mumbled, cracking open the bottle of ginger ale that had been placed in the cup holder, which he handed to his friend. “Drink some of this. I promise, you’ll feel a lot better.”

Link rolled his eyes and accepted the drink. “Thanks, Rhett.” He lifted the sleek bottle to his lips and took several breathless swigs before recapping it and sitting it back into the console.

“Alright, you ready to go?” Rhett insisted, pinching Link’s arm in an elongated maneuver.

Before he could answer, Link’s ringtone began playing from his back pocket. The two men exchanged a worried glance as Link pulled his phone out.

A pause.

Finally, Rhett broke the silence. “Who is it, Link?”

With a pang of anxiety shrouding his voice, Link replied. “Louis.”


	9. Chapter 9

Not knowing exactly how to handle the situation, Rhett hurriedly reached for Link’s hand and held on with a captivating squeeze. _This can only mean bad news,_ he reasoned, an absence of optimism surging through his soul in apprehension.

For the second time that morning, Link hesitantly put his stepfather on speaker. “Hello?”

“Hey, boy.” Louis’s voice was gruff. “I’ve uh… got some news for ya.”

Feeling a tremor crescendo in Link’s arm, Rhett tightened his grip. “Yeah?” Link’s voice was nearly a whisper.

A three-second rustling sounded from the other end. “Her memory ain’t comin’ back, Link.”

It was at that moment, the world appeared to freeze in its tracks. For the first time in years, Rhett witnessed his best friend’s heart utterly shatter in front of him. “No…” Link doubled over in his seat, dropping the phone against the dashboard. “No…” he repeated, nothing short of wailing.

“I’m afraid so, boy.” From the sound of Louis’s voice, he too was crying – but it was the type of crying that insinuated he’d simply run out of tears.

Somehow, Link mustered up the power to speak in a relatively articulate manner. “Louis… we’re coming out to see her in a few days. Me and Rhett.”

“Okay, alright…” he breathed. “What about your family?”

Link sighed. “The kids don’t know anything… I’m havin’ Christy tell ‘em I’m just goin’ back home for a spell.”

There was a momentary pause in conversation before Louis finally spoke up. “You, uh… might wanna tell ‘em, Link.”

The distraught man glowered at his phone. “No,” he declared dryly.

“Boy, if you don’t –“

“I said no, Louis,” he interrupted, “and that’s final.”

Louis was quiet for a moment. “Do what you gotta do.” Despite not being able to see the man on the phone, Rhett somehow felt him smile. “Your mama won’t know what to do with herself when she sees you.”

Heartache still present on his face, Link smiled. “Tell her I love her, will ya?”

“Can do,” he paused. “Take care of yourself, now. Love ya.”

“You too, Louis.”

With that, Link ended the call and looked somberly over to Rhett, who waited patiently for his friend to react. Link’s eyes were overwhelmed with tears that beaded with trepidation down his face. “I can’t take it anymore,” he finally announced, eyes fixated on the floor.

Rhett’s eyes followed Link’s outline sympathetically. “Don’t talk like that, Link.”

Link buried his face into his quaking hands, curling up into the seat. “I’m about to break down, Rhett…”

“Not on my watch,” Rhett responded, pulling the hunkered man into his lap. The moment Link’s head landed in Rhett’s chest, a chain of sobs ripped through his throat. Pitched screams thundered as vibrations against the other man’s empty lungs, a dampness collecting through the seams of his shirt. Rhett held him close – one hand supported Link’s body and the other gripped the back of his head to pin him in such a vulnerable state. Rhett’s heart began to race as he watched the man fall apart, memories of just that day that he’d held him in his arms; he’d lost count and it wasn’t even three o’clock. He began to caress some of the longer pieces of the weeping man’s hair in an effort to provide any ounce of comfort to him. His hair was unusually lifeless and dry, like coarse hay, Rhett discovered. Just then, a bolt of lightning crashed at a near distance and sent a shock through the vehicle, to which Link responded by digging his fingers into Rhett’s back. The sky rapidly darkened and sheets of rain began to dance artlessly across the town. Though he knew it was important that they got home quickly as possible, Rhett placed the notion on his mind’s shelf. At that particular moment, holding his best friend together was far more important to him than anything else.

Five minutes passed, then ten… then fifteen. Rhett still felt the juxtaposing tremors of Link’s body against his own. The sobbing had certainly died down, allowing for Rhett to be of more verbal assistance. “You know it’s all gonna work out, right? It’ll be okay, Link, it’ll be okay. Have faith.” Against the storm, Rhett’s voice was hardly audible. Perhaps, he concluded, that was for the best.

Link huddled against Rhett’s neck. His cheek was plastered to the layer of bare skin of the larger man’s chest. Rhett held him so his weight was centered mostly on his legs, allowing him to rub circles on his back. Link exhaled a choppy, convulsing breath in response. Though Rhett knew his best friend’s anxiety was beyond his ability to soothe, he couldn’t help but feel that his endeavors were absolutely useless. Naturally, he harbored the proclivity to guide Link through the most cataclysmic of disasters, emotional or otherwise… but when it came down to it, all he really did was hold him together just enough that he didn’t utterly burst at the seams. At the realization, Rhett’s heart sank. He shifted his eyes down to the jagged part of Link’s hair and allowed a couple silent tears to roll down his cheeks.

Gradually, Link began to calm down. Still laying against Rhett, he placed a weightless hand across his shoulder. He stared blankly at the velvet seat. “ _Rhett,_ ” he croaked, eyelashes glistening.

The back of Rhett’s head was pressed firmly against the window. “Yeah?”

Choking back a sob, Link clenched his eyes shut. “What if she doesn’t remember me?”

It was at that moment Rhett’s mind ceased to function. _Of course._ His heart broke for Link, knowing he couldn’t provide an answer that was both positive and realistic – and so, being Rhett McLaughlin, he opted for the latter. “I can’t tell you what I don’t know,” his voice was rough against Link’s ear. “But no matter how bad it gets I’ll be right here. I’m gonna get you through it. Every step of the way.” He touched his nose to the sunken man’s head.

Again, Link sighed. “I don’t doubt that a bit, Rhett.”

“You’ll make it, buddy,” he said, rubbing Link’s shoulder. “I’ve got all the faith in the world.”

For a few more minutes in the stormy parking lot, the world was relatively silent. Link’s body was much calmer than it had been – he almost seemed to sleep, tired eyes crusted shut with tear residue. To prevent disturbing him, Rhett was still.

At last, Link broke the silence. “We should go.”

Rhett blinked. “Yeah.” As Link hoisted himself up, the blond braced him and guided him gingerly back into the passenger’s seat. With a vigilant eye, Rhett watched as he scrunched up in his area, making himself rather small. “You gonna be okay?”

Link’s eyes crept towards Rhett in innocent surprise, his mouth thin. “Yeah… yeah, I think so.”

“Okay.” Rhett looked down and proceeded to start the vehicle. Before backing out, his gaze met peacefully with Link’s. “Look… if you need me to pull over or anything, just say so.”

A saddened smile spread across Link’s lips. “Okay,” he whispered, violet circles flushed beneath his eyes. He placed his hands in his lap as Rhett finally backed out of the parking lot and made his way back into town. Raindrops continued to batter the windshield with momentum. Much to Rhett’s dismay, Link’s gaze hardly left his lap, a telltale sign of a dejected heart. Things were certainly not okay, and in the back of Rhett’s mind that fact was clear – but damn it if he didn’t try to pull things together.


	10. Chapter 10

For the better half of the remainder of their trip, things were relatively uneventful. Storms came and passed, and though Rhett’s thoughts were in overdrive, the conversation was at rest. Link kept himself seemingly occupied by fiddling around with an elastic, which Rhett oftentimes allowed him to use as a coping mechanism. The five o’clock sun bled through luscious cotton clouds, a vibrant luminescence blaring into the windshield. Rhett kept his eyes locked on the road.

By six, Link was asleep. His head was pressed backwards into the headrest and his hands were drawn together in his lap by the rubber band. He was in such a position that looked as though he’d passed out from exhaustion, sending a shock through Rhett’s soul that resonated within him as dreariness. Of course, there wasn’t much of anything that could be done – at least, nothing to Rhett’s ability. As hard as he tried to come to terms with the fact, he couldn’t morally find the complacency. He felt the life being squeezed out of him… but there was no doubt Link felt infinitely worse, so it was at that thought he shelved his emotions and carried on.

Time passed slowly, a peculiar lethargy about the air and the setting. Cars seemed to bypass in waves of indolence as though they were driving through molasses, the bitter wind brushing Rhett’s face through the crack of an open window. Soon, the painfully sluggish minutes became an hour, and before much longer they arrived in Los Angeles. By seven-thirty, the sky had just begun to lose its glow, and Rhett flipped on his signal and made a right into the city.

As the truck came to a halt at the end of the exit, Rhett flicked his eyes over to his companion, whose face was illuminated by a cloudy light diffusing through the windshield. He landed a hand onto his shoulder and shook with a loose grip. “Hey, Link,” his voice was quiet, “we’re back in the city.”

Link looked up with a tired expression, his lips slimly parted. He jutted the balls of his hands into the seat and hoisted himself into an upright position, taking a moment to plot his surroundings. “Okay…” he said, talking to himself. “We’re about forty minutes from home then.”

“Depending on traffic,” Rhett remarked. Link nodded and pulled out his phone to text Christy. After doing so, he slipped the device back into his pocket and sank into the seat. Rhett landed a scrutinizing eye on the smaller man. “You okay over there?” he questioned, a perturbed pitch to his voice.

Without making eye contact, Link pinched the bridge of his nose. “I guess so,” he replied. “Just… thinking.”

Rhett pursed his lips. “What about?” he blurted, indecisive as to whether or not he should have asked.

“Technical stuff about tomorrow, actually.” Link’s meek gaze met the floor of the truck. Fingers drumming nervously against his thigh, his body became tense.

“Leave that to me!” Rhett insisted. “You’ve got too much on your plate to be worrying about that. I’ve got you, man, it’ll be okay.”

Link sighed. “Thanks, Rhett, but I still have to book a flight for tomorrow and it’s gonna –“

“Link, seriously,” he sternly interrupted, “let me take care of it. You’re totally frazzled.” Finally, the road was clear and the convoy of vehicles in front of Rhett began to inch onto the adjacent road. “All I ask is you pay for your own ticket.”

As the truck merged onto the highway, Link fixed his eyes on Rhett. “Of course. I was gonna pay for yours too. It’s my mess.”

Rhett tossed his hand dismissively into the air. “No, no, I’ll carry my own weight. I mean, it’s not like I _have_ to go.”

Link looked down. “Yeah,” he agreed. “You really don’t.”

Surprised by the man’s response, Rhett arched a brow. “Do you… not want me to?”

The smaller man’s eyes darted up to Rhett. “No, Rhett, it’s not that!” he clarified, “I just don’t want you going out of your way if it’s inconvenient, I guess.”

“Oh my goodness…” Rhett began. “Link, it’s not gonna get in my way. If it was ‘getting in my way’, what kind of friend would I be?”

Link huffed, his dilated pupils tracing Rhett’s profile. “Probably a normal one.”

It was true – Rhett’s dedication to their relationship was quite strong and could sometimes come off as overwhelming. He turned his head to the floor. “Well, yeah. But we don’t exactly have a _normal_ friendship.” A thin smile spread across his lips. “What we have is… extraordinary.”

A blush bloomed upon Link’s cheeks. “Yeah, Rhett. It is.”

Lost in the sweet reciprocation in Link’s words, Rhett remained silent for a while. After a few moments passed, he cleared his throat in a rather awkward manner. The next forty or so minutes passed in light banter about various topics, Link resting his eyes shut for the majority of the time. Rhett was worn out having driven the entire distance back to LA but found a burst of motivation knowing how close he was to dropping Link off and, as he’d planned, driving back to his own home in the company car. It was between those thoughts he realized – in the hours he’d spent worrying for Link’s situation, he’d neglected to tell his family they’d come back. Though, at this moment, Link seemed to be in a lighthearted mood; he’d save the call for the solo drive home.

As they arrived in the concrete foundation of Link’s driveway, a glossy shimmer reflected from Rhett’s eye. The truck in park, he cocked his head and gave Link a final evaluation for the evening. “Are you gonna be okay tonight?” he asked quietly, watching Link’s face as it began to contort. His eyes were fixed on Rhett as a tear rolled down his shaken face. “Oh, Link…” he whispered. In a split-second decision, Rhett turned off the ignition and hopped out of the truck. He left the door open in a hurry and scampered to Link’s side, opening his door upon arrival.

At the sound, Link spared a teary glance at Rhett. Rhett’s calloused fingers gripped his friend’s wrist and coaxed him softly down to the ground where he pulled him into an embrace. At first, Link was limp, but he soon folded his arms around Rhett’s waist. His crying was minor, but regardless, Rhett felt obligated to ruffle his obsidian hair. “Come on, now. It’s gonna be alright.”

Link sniffed. “Yeah,” he responded, “you’re right, Rhett.”

“Yeah.” Rhett rubbed circles on his back. Suddenly, he pushed the man away with his hands gripping his shoulders. “Let’s take you in,” he suggested. Link nodded.

Despite his long legs, Rhett made an effort to move in small strides towards the door, his arm wrapped around Link’s back. He supported the man’s weight against his side during the walk across the porch when they finally met the door. Link pursed his lips as he wrapped a hand around the knob and pushed to reveal the inside of the house. Rhett behind him, Link set foot on the tile floor.

To the left was the wide, wood-paneled doorway of the kitchen. Inside stood Christy, who seemed to have been there for quite some time given her restless, almost panicked actions. She was turned around and frantically arranging items in drawers, evidently oblivious to the men’s presence. Rhett observed an indecisive expression spread on Link’s face. He outstretched his hand from behind and squeezed the man’s forearm.

Link’s eyes momentarily flicked over to Rhett as if to search his face for advice – and, it seemed, that was exactly what he found. Looking back to his wife, his trembling lips parted. “Christy,” he said with a shudder; it was all he could manage before a lump emerged in his throat.

Christy paused. She tensed up, presumably from shock, and flung her head over her shoulder, pink lips mirroring her husband’s. “Link!” Her eyes welled up with tears, but the rest of her remained strong as she promptly turned her body around and paced with open arms over to Link. She wrapped him in a delicate embrace, fists clenched loosely atop his shoulder blades. Link fell against her in a way that reminded Rhett of the relief of familiarity that followed a bout of homesickness… and it was at that gesture he arrived at a heartbreaking realization: no matter how tightly he held his best friend, no matter how many times he saved him from the verge of disaster, no matter what measures he took to comfort him in situations of terror and distress, it would never add up to the charity he so easily found within his wife’s heart.

And that hurt Rhett.

Christy’s expression was sympathetic. Link’s crying was soft, but nonetheless, she jutted her chin into the curve of his neck and tilted her head against his. Her body language was ginger, but the compassion was evident; her glassy eyes scanned the floor with anxiety, flicking around the scene in racing thoughts. Finally, she traced her gaze up Rhett’s body and met his own at the top of his towering stature. His lips thinned. Rhett nodded to acknowledge Christy’s unspoken plea and hesitantly broke eye contact as he escaped to the porch without a word. Before he shut the door, he caught one last glimpse at the couple and noticed the complete relaxation in Link’s body – there was no shaking, no tenseness. Quite frankly, it was miraculous. Rhett knew he should have been happy that Link was doing better, but at the same time he only wished he could have been a source of that improvement. Instead, he discovered, his efforts were comparatively negligible. Of course, in the grand overlook of things, Rhett also reasoned that his emotions were petty when stacked against Link’s plethora of stress-inducing dilemmas. So once again, he opted to remain silent, a habit that so often got him into trouble.

After a few minutes passed, Rhett left the porch and hopped into the company car. His mind was full, but he decided to call Jessie and explain the situation with minimal detail for his own sake. The conversation was short, mostly due to Rhett’s general frustration, but Jessie seemed to understand anyway. As soon as Rhett ended the call, he tossed his phone with careless force into the cup holder. A quick evaluation of his surroundings revealed that no one was around and the sun was nearly set, orange rays bleeding from the sky.

Rhett placed an arm on the top of the steering wheel and proceeded bend over, his forehead pressed uncomfortably into his wrist. It seemed there was nothing in his ability to empty his mind, and so he settled for the next best thing. A chilling trail of goosebumps bulleted down his arms and back, and with a tremor in his lungs, he hung his head and cried.


	11. Chapter 11

Just a few minutes before nightfall, Rhett pulled into his driveway. Before exiting the car, he examined his face in the rearview mirror with the use of whatever natural light was left, which wasn’t much at all, but it did the job nonetheless. His face was puffy and his eyes were rimmed in red. Though it was unlikely, he hoped that Jessie wouldn’t notice; as bad as he already felt, it would hurt him even more to make her worry. Rhett took a deep breath and stepped out of the car.

The air was dry and unusually cold, and there was no indication it had rained in the short time he’d been away. Of course not – there was hardly a shower in California, and when it did rain, it only lasted long enough to dampen the roads. Usually, the sun didn’t even bother to disappear during the rare instance of precipitation.

Two potted plants were perched humbly on either side of the door, just as Rhett was used to. This time, however, he stopped in his trek to examine their leaves. _A bit purple on the ends,_ he observed, _they’re gettin’ too much water._ He stroked the slickness of one of the leaves, lips pursed in concentration.

Before he could dig into much deeper thought, he was interrupted by the softened squeak of a door hinge opening next to his ear. His head darted up and right in front of him stood Jessie. From his current, hunched over stance, he was directly at her eye level.

“Rhett,” she spoke sweetly, “dear, what are you doing to my ferns?”

He couldn’t help but chuckle at being reprimanded by such a small voice. “Uh,” he broke eye contact, “they’re overwatered, is all.”

Jessie’s expression quickly altered from lighthearted to sympathetic. It only required a few words from her husband for her to detect when something wasn’t quite right, and this time was no different. She placed a careful hand on Rhett’s back. “Let’s go inside.” Rhett acquiesced and followed his wife’s lead.

When they reached the kitchen, Rhett noticed a peculiar lack of disturbance in the air, which he soon pinpointed. “Where’s the kids?”

Jessie stood at the counter pouring a cup of coffee for each of them. “Locke’s at that little friend of his… um,” she snapped her fingers, “Riley. Shep’s in his room.”

“Mm,” Rhett hummed; he wasn’t excellent with small talk when his soul was bombarded with larger issues that needed to be tackled.

Jessie lifted the mugs from the counter and tilted her head towards the dining table. “Sit.” She placed the cups on the table and they filed into a pair of seats across from each other, elbows resting on the wooden surface.

Rhett clasped his hands and jammed his face into them. Distress shocked through his body as Jessie’s loving eyes pierced his own. He directed his gaze timidly downward.

“Look at me, Rhett,” she pleaded, continuing after he complied. “What’s the matter, what happened with Link?”

Rhett’s eyes flicked downward, but met Jessie’s soon after. “You haven’t talked to Christy?” he questioned, voice raspy.

“No, she… texted me a few minutes ago. Said Link was a mess.” She ran a hand through her dark hair.

“Yeah,” Rhett sighed. “I thought he was doing a little better when I took ‘im home.”

Jessie nodded. “So tell me what all happened. All I know is his mom got in the wreck. I mean, how bad was it?”

Rhett took a generous breath. “Well, there’s not a whole lot to say about it. She got in the wreck late the other night, Link’s stepdad’s been calling all day tellin’ him how bad she was and makin’ him a nervous wreck. Jess, you know how anxious he gets about stuff that doesn’t even matter, you’ve seen it… this was a whole ‘nother world for him. He didn’t know how to hold himself together. I had to keep pullin’ over to calm him down ‘cause he was having panic attacks. I’d never seen him so bad.”

“Neither’s Christy,” she responded with slanted eyebrows. “Poor Link… How bad _is_ his mom though?”

“Ahh…” he began, configuring how he’d word his answer. “The second or third time Louis called, he said her memory was gone.” Rhett looked up to see his wife inhale a panicked gasp. “I had to hold ‘im for half an hour after that one. He was shattered.”

A look of near horror on her face, Jessie seemed at loss for words. “I don’t know how you do it, Rhett…” she finally stammered.

Although she meant well, Jessie’s words settled like a rock in Rhett’s stomach. He wanted to tell her he didn’t do anything – that he couldn’t do anything. That help of any kind was beyond his ability. He wanted to tell her he felt useless and maybe a bit heartbroken himself. But instead, he found himself tracing the contour of the table’s edge and sipping his coffee.

Jessie cocked her head to the side and reached for Rhett’s free hand. She pulled it carefully down to the table’s surface, squeezing gently. “Is there something else on your mind?”

Rhett was always astounded by her capability to read him, but this time he attempted to cross her wires. “Nah… I’m just worried for him.” That was partially the truth – but at the same time, an incomplete truth is a whole lie, and Rhett felt a twinge of guilt for that, too. “Oh, Jessie, I forgot… I’m going with him –“

“Yeah, flying back home, I know,” she smiled. “Do whatever you have to do that feels right to you, dear.”

It had been quite some time since Rhett had heard overt concern for his well-being – not that he felt unappreciated, but he was discernably drained given the day he’d had, so a bit of kindness was refreshing to hear. “Thanks, babe.” He returned a smile, then proceeded to straighten himself up to signify he was finished talking. “I need to get some stuff sorted out for tomorrow so I’m gonna hop to that.”

Jessie’s head tilted up to follow her husband who stood up with a hand on top of the chair. “Okay. Don’t stress yourself out, Rhett.”

Among the thoughts swirling in Rhett’s mind, the most salient was the love he harbored for his wife. There were so many ways to say “I love you”, and her every word and action seemed to carry that message behind it. The way her solemn yet adoring eyes were set on him was plenty evidence for that, but he was simply too exhausted to reciprocate that night. “I won’t,” he replied, his voice gruff. Rhett turned and exited the room.

For a few short minutes, the day seemed to finally be winding down – but before much longer, just after Rhett had ventured online and purchased their plane tickets, the screen of his phone lit up from the coffee table he’d placed it on. He tried to make out the notification from where he sat, and from there determined it was a text from Christy. “ _Oh, goodness,_ ” he whispered, dropping his feet and sitting the laptop on the cushion beside him. Rhett quickly bent over and unlocked his phone to bring up the message:

_Rhett, please answer me…_

Horrified, Rhett’s heart began racing. _What’s wrong?_ , he typed back.

Almost immediately, an ellipse within a text bubble popped up. He waited a few seconds, staring at the screen of his phone for what seemed like a century.

_I need you to call link, he left without a word and won’t answer my calls or texts._

_I’m so scared._


	12. Chapter 12

Rhett’s stomach turned, a nervous shock wrenching through his body. _Okay, dear. Calm down. I’ll make sure he’s okay_ , he responded.Rhett himself was all but relaxed – suggesting the love of Link’s life to “calm down” was indisputably absurd, but at the time, he wasn’t necessarily focused on being therapeutic.

Shortly after he closed the messaging app, he called Link’s phone. At the first ring, Rhett felt his breathing begin to quicken. Halfway through the second ring, the tone came to an abrupt halt – _Call ended._ Rhett swore beneath his breath and tried to call again, but this attempt was also to no avail. Frustrated and fretful, he reopened the messaging app and tapped a previous conversation with Link.

_Link, where the hell are you?!_

Rhett hopelessly watched his phone for a moment, but was then surprised by an indication that Link was replying. A few moments passed, but at last, a message popped up.

_I don’t know._

The nebulosity of Link’s response plunged Rhett into a state of oblivion. He read over it a few times, and despite the worry that flooded his heart, Rhett’s aggravation soon got the best of him. Luckily, it didn’t translate through text.

_What do you mean you don’t know? Are you in Burbank?_

Shortly thereafter, another text bubble popped up.

                _Yeah._

_Are you okay?_

_I’m not hurt or anything._

_That’s not what I asked. Are you_

_okay?_

_Well… no._

_I’m sorry, Link. Can I please call_

_you?_

_I’m crying, Rhett._

_That’s ok. We can work it out. Ok?_

_Okay, fine._

By that point, some of Rhett’s anxiety had suppressed. He took a couple screenshots and hurriedly sent them to Christy to share his relief with her, then proceeded to call Link.

This time, there was only one ring. “Hey,” Link croaked. The sound of his voice indicated he was damming up a flood of tears.

“Hey, man, talk to me. You’ve worried Christy and me half to death.” Rhett buried his head in one hand. “You can’t just do that, Link. I know you’re having a hard time but you’re seriously starting to hurt the people around you.”

Link expelled a quiet but culpable sob, and for a moment everything was silent. Then, he unleashed a more charged yelp into the speaker, doing his best to articulate. “Rhett… I’m so sorry… I know it’s affecting you and Christy but I can’t think straight when I start panicking…”

Rhett’s eyes widened. “Did you drive while you were having a panic attack?!” Just then, Jessie peered around the doorway.

“I… well, I was okay to drive –“

“Link, don’t drive if you aren’t thinking straight, you’re gonna hurt yourself!” Rhett chastised him.

From the other end, a shuddering breath was exhaled. “I’m sorry. You’re right.”

“Dammit, Link…” he said almost inaudibly, unsure if his friend could hear. Rhett’s heart had significantly slowed down – however, his fuse was shortening. “You have got to be more careful, brother.”

A sharp pause followed where neither man spoke. Rhett pressed his lips together, pondering to himself what Link looked like at that moment. He yearned to hold him against his chest, squeezing delicate assurances into his body. He just wanted to make sure his best friend was okay, and that’s all that really mattered – and Rhett would have given the world for the ability to console him.

Soon, though, he realized the distraught man on the other end wasn’t going to continue the conversation. Focused on Link’s safety, Rhett offered a proposition. “Hey, are you still there?” his tone had softened.

Link sniffed heavily, choking back a sob. “ _Yeah,_ ” he whispered.

“Okay,” Rhett replied. He then locked eyes with Jessie, who still stood on the other side of the room, frowning sympathetically. “Now, I don’t want you driving any more tonight. You’ve got to tell me where you are. Me and Jessie can pick you up,” he planned frantically. “Just… describe where you are right now and we’ll figure it out. Please, Link… I can’t let you drive…” Rhett’s eyes welled up with tears. Just as one dropped down to his face, Jessie rushed over to his side.

Apparently, Link detected the worry in the other man’s voice. “Don’t cry, Rhett. I’m okay,” he assured. A newfound strength resonated from his lungs.

“ _No you’re not,_ ” the blond contended in a shrill hiss. Jessie gripped his hand, approaching tears herself at the sight of her husband in such distress. Rhett turned his head to the floor. “I just… Link, where are you?” he urged, this time more imperative.

Because Rhett’s persistence knew no surrender, Link capitulated to his demand. “Look,” he sighed, “I can’t tell you exactly. I’m by the ocean. I think the last thing I passed was a Dunkin’ Donuts and there was a gym on the other side of the road. I took a left and ended up at a pier – “

“Wait, wait,” Rhett’s expression lit up in regards of the description. “Are you by the pier right now?”

A confused silence followed. “Yeah…”

“Does it fork off into two platforms? Heavily decorated?”

This time, Link’s response was more perceptive. “Yeah! Rhett, how’d you know?”

Rhett exchanged a perhaps too exuberant glance with Jessie. “That’s where we taught Shep to ride a bike, Link! Jess, you remember the pier –“

She smiled. “Yeah, I do. You remember how to get there don’t you?”

“Yeah,” Rhett nodded, speaking quietly. He directed his gaze back to the coffee table. “Look, we can be there in around twenty minutes. Okay? Don’t move, Link. Don’t leave,” he begged.

“I’m not gonna leave, don’t worry,” Link vowed. “I’m a little better in the head right now.”

Rhett drew a relieved breath. “Thank God. But I’m serious, stay put.”

“Rhett, I will.”

The blond chuckled softly at the other man’s irritability. “Okay. I’ll see you in a few. Stay safe, brother.”

“Alright. You too.”

There, Rhett ended the call and looked back to Jessie. He emanated a faint sense of heartache, almost staring through her as he talked. “I’m so worried about him. He’s getting worse.”

Jessie’s head tilted to the side. “What happened, did he say?” She pursed her lips.

“Oh…” Rhett realized. “No, I… I never asked.”

“Rhett!” she scolded.

Instantly, Rhett experienced a pang of guilt that dropped from his chest to the nauseating pit of his stomach. “Look, I’ll ask when we get there. I just took for granted he was having a spell… I never thought to ask if anything triggered it…” Rhett buried his face in his hands and forcefully rammed his foot into the coffee table. “God, why am I so stupid!” he yelled, staring up to the ceiling.

Jessie placed a careful hand on Rhett’s back and stretched her other hand down to his thigh. “You’re not stupid, hon. You’ve got so much on your mind.”

Rhett expelled a vocal sigh. “Well either way, now’s not the time to be worrying about me. You go get Shepherd and I’ll start up the car,” he insisted. Jessie complied and walked hurriedly into the hallway, dark hair grazing swiftly against her back.

Although his conscience was content in terms of Link’s current stability, Rhett felt a strong twinge of guilt on his own part. For his own sake, he shelved his emotions and started towards the hallway himself. In the kitchen, he grabbed a bottle of Sprite and the car keys, which he’d perched on the dining table upon his entrance. He heard his wife’s footsteps tapping rhythmically on the floor from a distance, and so he shuffled out the door and made his way into the car.

A few seconds passed, and Jessie emerged from the house with Shepherd following closely beside her. He appeared to have been asleep, his blond hair tousled in a curly mess atop his head and his steps sluggish. All Rhett could see was from the dim illumination of the porch light, which shone softly along the highlights of Shepherd’s hair and clothing. Holding her son by the arm, Jessie led him to the vehicle.

“Dad, where are we going?” Shepherd asked as Jessie hopped into the passenger’s seat.

“We’ve gotta go pick up Link,” Rhett replied as he dug the key into the ignition. Jessie pushed a button on the ceiling and the vehicle was lit by a glaring brightness.

Shepherd winced. “Why are we picking up Link?”

Rhett’s eyebrows arched as he flicked his eyes to the rearview mirror. “He’s, uh… at the beach. I wanted to drive him home since he’s a little out of it.” When his son indicated he was satisfied with the answer, Rhett shifted the car into reverse and headed towards the pier.

Shepherd was uncharacteristically quiet for the majority of the trip, which Rhett attributed to the fact he was tired. Each time he glanced into the mirror to look at him, his son was staring blankly into the back of Jessie’s seat. Either way, Rhett was concerned. “You alright, Shep?”

The dazed boy directed his attention to his father. “I dunno,” his childish voice declared.

“Are you sleepy?” Jessie questioned.

He shook his head side to side. “I’m apprehensive.”

With that, Jessie and Rhett both let out an airy chuckle. “You’ve got quite a vocabulary, son,” Rhett teased. “What’s making you ‘apprehensive’?”

Shepherd’s expression didn’t budge – in fact, he even seemed to shrink further into his booster seat. Rhett could see a glaze over his son’s eyes, which typically meant trouble. Afraid he was sick, Rhett’s eyebrows furrowed. “Shep, what’s the matter? You’re not about to throw up, are you?”

In response, the boy’s face scrunched up and a single tear beaded down his cheek. He brought his knees up to his face and began to cry ever so softly, which was jarring in several ways – not only was it sudden and completely uncalled for, but this kind of behavior was atypical for a child his age. He wasn’t making a scene – he was hiding himself. Jessie and Rhett exchanged an anxious glance, evaluating the level of concern on each other’s faces. “Shepherd!” Jessie cried, turning around in her seat to place her hands on his knees. He looked up, tears strewn down his face. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

Blond curls matted against his cheeks, Shepherd’s body jerked towards Rhett. “Daddy, where’s Link?!” he nasally yelped.

Rhett was puzzled – why did Shepherd care? Why was he so upset? “Shep, calm down. We’ll see him in a few minutes, he’s at the beach.”

Jessie wiped away her son’s tears with her thumbs. As his crying came to a halt, their situation began to look more optimistic. “Oh,” he quietly responded.

Still vexed at the foundation of Shepherd’s outburst, Rhett harbored a sincere tone. “Shepherd,” he began, pausing until the boy returned his gaze into the mirror. “What’s making you worry about Link so bad, son?”

The boy still donned a fearful expression. “He’s sick,” he simply replied.

Rhett sighed. “Link’s not sick, Shep. He’s just…” he trailed off, not knowing exactly what word to choose that could both sum up Link’s condition and comfort his son. Rhett stuck his tongue into his cheek and glanced over to Jessie. Shepherd’s head was cocked to the side, waiting patiently for his father to finish. Rhett focused his attention to the road and raised his voice. “He’s just a little down.”

With that, Shepherd displayed a neutral expression and looked down to the floor. “But that’s the worst kind of sick there is,” he debated, his voice small. “A sick heart.”

An extended silence followed the statement, Jessie casting an enlightened glance at her husband. Rhett’s eyes never left the road, but they glistened with a brightness with each streetlight they passed. After gathering his thoughts, the man replied with a slight lump in his throat as he seemed to crawl into Link’s skin and experience heartbreak for himself. “That’s right, Shep,” he merely whispered. A tear begged to drop down to his face as the thoughts of his best friend overwhelmed his mind with a vast emptiness. There was nothing quite like fearing the unpredictability of a once stable friend, and Rhett found this to be infinitely more daunting given the thirty years he’d been able to pinpoint Link’s every move. He came to deem his dedication to the man both a blessing and a curse – but even so, he wouldn’t have had it any other way. Jessie reached for his free hand, and from there on out, the journey continued in silence.


	13. Chapter 13

By the time Rhett spotted the pier, the clock on the dash read 10:15 and the beach’s commotion had already died down. From inside the car, he searched frantically for Link’s truck, but the polluted night sky inhibited his ability to see – nonetheless, he allowed his eyes to scamper across the scene with determination. An almost metaphysical sensation crept along his neck, leaving behind a trail of goosebumps.

Suddenly, Jessie’s eyes lit up as she gripped her husband’s forearm. “There he is, Rhett!” she imparted, a toothy smile showing beneath her lips.

Rhett’s eyes widened as his gaze promptly shifted to mimic Jessie’s. Sure enough, there was Link’s truck parked carelessly on the other side of the lot. “Good eye, Jess,” he remarked; the contour of the vehicle was barely visible, as it was parked beneath the shade of a large tree – the only indication of its presence was a shaken figure bent over on the bed of the truck, whose silky hair was dimly lit by the moonlight. Rhett became instantly anxious. In a dash, he thrashed his arm into the open glovebox and fumbled around until he found a pocket flashlight, then proceeded to open the car door. “You and Shep stay here. I need to talk to ‘im,” he muttered gruffly. He turned on the flashlight and stepped gingerly out of the car.

Link’s figure hadn’t yet budged. Slowly, he pointed the light towards the man, and as soon as it landed on his body, Rhett was alarmed. Link was sat crisscross with his elbows jammed into his knees and face planted into his hands. Hunched into a ball, he adorned the same clothing he’d been wearing the entire day, but it was now sopping wet – even his hair had curled into an obsidian dampness that stuck against his face. The shock of Link’s condition forced Rhett’s heart into overdrive, a sincere panic electrifying his body to stillness. For a mere second, he stood wide-eyed with a loose grip around the flashlight, but his halt didn’t last long. “Link!” he cried shortly thereafter, jogging hastily to his best friend.

The shrunken man’s head tilted upwards to view Rhett as he made his way to the truck. When Rhett arrived, he effortlessly jumped up onto the bed of the truck and situated himself to face Link. He plopped the flashlight behind them, radiating a soft brightness on their bodies. Both hands cupping Link’s shoulders, Rhett coaxed him to turn around. He lifted a hand to his friend’s wet face and filed his fingers through the rough tangles of his hair. There was an expression spread across Link’s face that emanated a mixture of regret, appreciation, and hopelessness – and Rhett couldn’t tell which one was overpowering. Appalled, he squeezed Link’s shoulders in a shoddy attempt to ground him. “Link, what happened to you?!” he asked brusquely, the moonlight reflecting from his eyes.

A dazedness flushed across Link’s face as he broke eye contact and faced the salty shore to his left. Instinctually, Rhett peered in the same direction, and then back to Link. Upon further examination of his soaked raiment, Rhett could see the faint graininess of sand slathered on his chest and stomach. He dropped his hands to the bottom corners of Link’s shirt and pinched, pulling the adhesive fabric away from his torso down to his knees. All the while, Rhett’s eyes were fixed on Link’s, paired with an expression of pure trepidation. “ _Link…_ ” he repeated in a choked whisper.

A chilling breeze sliced through the late night air, sending Link into a visible fit of shivering. “I’m cold…”

Rhett forced his eyebrows into a slant. “Here,” he quietly responded, placing his fingers once again on the inside of Link’s shirt. “Raise your arms, brother. The water’s just gonna make it worse.” As Link’s trembling arms complied, Rhett pulled the shirt over his head and flung it towards the front of the truck.

The man’s shoulders glistened harshly in the light. “Thanks, Rhett,” his voice cracked in the midst of the winds. He folded his arms in order to retain as much heat as possible.

A frown surfaced from beneath Rhett’s beard. He scooted closer to Link, his thigh pressed against his knee, and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. The smaller man’s head fell abruptly into the crook of Rhett’s neck, damp bangs transferring droplets of water to his collarbone. Squeezing him tight against his side, Rhett bent over into Link’s view. “Can you walk?”

Link didn’t raise up. “Yeah,” he said shortly.

“Okay,” Rhett harbored an assuring smile. “Follow me to the car, just real quick, and after that I’ll get you home.”

It didn’t take much consideration for Link to nod. “Okay.”

When Rhett’s arm fell, Link straightened up with his hands holding him up on either side. Rhett’s long legs allowed him to step onto the blacktop with ease, leaving Link behind on the bed. The taller man outstretched a hand, which Link’s tremulous one grabbed without question, and aided him down to the ground. Rhett lifted his hand and placed it on Link’s upper arm to stabilize him as they walked together to the other side of the lot.

As they came into view, Jessie emerged from the other side of the car and trotted over to the men. “Link!” she cried with a tense undertone. She scrambled closer and proceeded to wrap her arms tight around Link’s torso. “Oh, you’ve worried us to death!”

Link pulled her close. “I’m sorry, Jessie,” he replied with sincerity. Seconds later, Shepherd piled out of the car. He ran towards Link and latched onto his leg.

Jessie fell away and flicked her eyes over to Rhett. Eyebrows crinkled, she looked with confusion back to Link. “Where’s your shirt?”

Another brittle wind whipped in from the ocean, sending all four of them into a protective flinch. Link’s eyes clenched shut, and Rhett saw the shadows of goosebumps covering his arms. “I’ll be right back,” he stated, and trekked the short distance to the car.

There, he opened the door to the backseat and bent over to feel around in the floor. His hand soon hit exactly what he was looking for – a neatly folded blanket just under the driver’s seat. He pulled it into his arms and slammed the door shut.

Upon reentering the group, Rhett gripped Link by the shoulder to acquire his attention. When he looked up, Rhett draped the blanket across his shoulders, fumbling with it to make sure the length was adjacent to his arm span. Link’s expression was despondent, but his lips parted in appreciation. “Thank you,” he responded. “It’s very soft.”

“Shea butter,” Jessie divulged. “So, what’s the plan, you guys?”

Rhett adjusted his posture. Blinding lights from behind the beach shone in concentrated blasts, causing him to squint towards the horizon. “Well, I’m gonna need you meet me over at Link’s. We’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Jessie softly nodded. “You didn’t want to come over home and spend the night, did you?” she asked, glaring slightly at Rhett.

A broken smile stretched over Link’s lips. “Nah,” he replied. “I better talk to Christy and hang with the kids a little before they go to bed. But thank you.”

Shepherd, who’d been strangely quiet throughout the entire situation, faced up to Link. “I’m glad you’re okay,” he smiled.

Link ruffled the boy’s hair. “Thanks, Shep,” he said with forced enthusiasm. He then pursed his lips and looked in Rhett’s direction.

A few silent seconds passed, Rhett tapping his feet, as he initiated eye contact with Link. “You ready to go then?” he inquired. With a single nod of Link’s head, Rhett spared a glance at Jessie and Shepherd. “Alright, we’ll see you all in a few,” he declared, and gave his wife a kiss.

“Okay,” she replied, pulling away, and pointed her gaze at Link. “I hope everything turns out for the best. You’re in my prayers.”

A humble smile unfurled on Link’s face. “Thank you, dear.”

Grabbing Shepherd by the wrist, Jessie turned to Rhett. “See you later, hon,” she said, the apples of her cheeks visible beneath her eyes. With the sound of their shoes scraping across the asphalt, the two walked to the car in silence.

Rhett watched intently as the car pulled out of the lot and onto the road. When they were gone, he spun around to face Link, who watched his face solemnly. Rhett made a note to allow the smaller man to speak first, hoping just maybe he’d spill a revelation.

Instead, Link cast a pleading gaze into Rhett’s eyes. “Can we stay? For just a few minutes?” he implored.

Even if he’d wanted to, it was impossible for Rhett to deny his request. Automatically, he gathered Link in his arms. The blanket was warm on his skin, but the contrasting temperature of Link’s face against his neck was chilling. The ocean’s breeze tainted their faces and cut with bitterness over their skin. Without another thought, Rhett squeezed him closer:

“Of course.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Mention of suicide attempt

The day had already seemed imponderably long, but Rhett refused to take its infinite drag into account so long as Link needed him. They paced without destination on the sandy shores for quite some time before finally settling on a large rock that was perched just along the shoreline. They both climbed up with ease, salty water tickling Link’s sandaled feet as he propelled himself onto the surface. From his lips, a genuine laughter escaped, and for a moment he appeared to forget the pain.

It seemed that the air became easier to breathe the closer they got to the water. Rhett’s lungs filled with the comfort of the breeze and the sound of waves murmuring on the sand. They sat closely together on the most horizontal platform of the rock, Rhett’s arm wrapped around Link’s torso and hooking onto his hip. As bad as Rhett wanted to soak in the dusk’s magic and the glittering moonlight that danced across the ocean, there were far more critical thoughts whirling in his conscience. Link’s weight was light against his body, his head tilted back onto Rhett’s shoulder.

For several minutes, the scene was soothing, and Rhett had nearly forgotten he existed. Even the bustling of the city behind them was at a minimum – the only sound besides the natural environment was the softness of Link’s breathing. He was lulled by the calm and collected rise and fall of Link’s chest and for a few more moments was projected into a state of tranquility.

When Rhett snapped out of his trance, he looked down to see that Link was nearly asleep. Endearing as it was, he shook him gently awake by the arm, causing the man to flinch and raise up. Rhett scratched his head. “We better get back, Link. We’re gonna worry Christy and Jessie.”

Link rubbed his fingers into his eyes. “Oh,” he groaned. “Yeah. You should text Jessie.”

“Yeah,” Rhett agreed, and proceeded to pull out his phone. _Haven’t left the beach yet. Back in a few._

A subtle strength began to brace Link’s body as he prepared to jump off the rock. “She say anything?”

Just as he asked, Rhett received a message. “She said okay,” he replied, sliding the phone back into his pocket. Rhett detected an overall tenseness to Link’s body as his wobbly ankles supported his weight from beneath his thighs. Before he dove off the rock, Rhett pulled him back by the shoulder. “Whoa, hey, sit ‘own! Let me get off first and I’ll help you down.”

“Alright,” Link complied as he plopped himself back onto the rock’s surface. Rhett turned around and placed both hands on the area where he squatted, then allowed his legs to fall gracefully to the ground.

He backed away far enough that he could see Link from his location, then coaxed him forward. “Give me your hand,” he ordered, reaching his arm to the top of the rock.

Link grabbed it and squeezed, carefully sliding his legs over the edge. He placed his other hand on Rhett’s shoulder, gripping with trusting intensity, and bent his knees as he landed onto the sand. While he straightened up, Rhett helped dust off the particles of dirt that had adhered to the backs of his thighs.

He cupped his hands on Link’s shoulders and turned him so he could see his face. “You okay?” Rhett’s eyebrows arched.

“Yeah,” Link assured.

“Good.” Rhett adjusted the blanket on his shoulders and gave the man a careful slap on the back. Pushing him forwards, he persuaded Link to move along.

It took a matter of minutes to journey back to Link’s truck. The closer they got to the parking lot, the louder the city’s pandemonium became and the brighter the lights began to shine. Upon approaching the vehicle, Link piled into the passenger’s seat and Rhett in the driver’s seat. Rhett noticed Link pull the blanket tighter around his arms, and in response he flipped on the heat. “Getting warm?” he asked.

Link’s hands dropped. “Yes, thank you,” he replied, a bit distracted.

With a scrutinizing eye, Rhett observed Link’s body language for a moment. Quickly, his heart began to sink. It was then he realized there was something inevitable that needed to be discussed, and so, with hesitation in his speech, he initiated the conversation. “Link,” he shot the man a piercing stare, “You know that I need you to tell me what happened.”

As Link reciprocated eye contact, Rhett saw nothing short of fear shrouding his face. He opened his mouth to speak, but at first said nothing. “Um…” he quietly managed to say, now facing the floor.

Rhett’s eyes fell. “Okay, alright. I’ll break it up,” he offered. “Look at me.”

Link did.

“Okay, brother. Just talk to me,” he said. “Why’d you come here?”

His answer was quick: “To get away.”

Rhett bit his lip. “To get away from… what, exactly?”

Link shrugged. “I don’t remember, Rhett. It wasn’t… it wasn’t Christy or the kids… or Mom or Louis… or you. I was so anxious, man. I had to get out.”

“Mm,” Rhett responded, satisfied by Link’s effort to communicate. “So why wouldn’t you answer your phone?”

“Well,” he ducked his head to the side, “Rhett, like I said, I can’t think straight. It’s not like… a direct connection. I know the reason I’m so wired all the time is ‘cause I’m scared of what’s gonna happen to my mom, but my mind doesn’t get it. I can’t just tell myself ‘Oh, you’re panicking because this or that’ ‘cause that’s just not something I’m thinking about in that situation. It’s just… such a bad feeling, Rhett. When it happens I’ll do about anything to feel normal again.” Link pursed his lips for a moment and continued after the other man was silent. “I’m sorry I didn’t answer you. You know… or at least I hope you know… the last thing I want to do is hurt you or worry you or somethin’.”

The setting nearly called for tears, but Rhett suppressed. “I know that, Link. I know.” Link’s crystal eyes glistened, and out of them fell two small drops. Rhett landed a hand on his. “You okay?”

Looking momentarily up to the ceiling, Link rubbed the damp trails from his face. “Yeah, yeah…” he insisted, a lump forming in his throat. “I’m just afraid what you’re gonna ask next, is all.”

He knew just the question Link feared – the one he’d saved for last just to delay having to ask. “I am too,” he stuttered. “Link?”

The small man was slightly hunched over his lap, now shaking with anxiety. He lifted his eyebrows in response.

“Link…” he repeated, a tremor in his voice. “Why… did I find you… soaking wet, head to toe, in the bed of your truck?”

An expression of nausea arose on Link’s face. Rhett squeezed firmly onto his hand, which appeared to keep him grounded as he unearthed the courage to justify his actions. “ _Promise_ me you won’t speak of this. That you’re not gonna tell Christy or Jessie,” he pleaded.

“Of course,” Rhett nodded.

“Thank you, Rhett,” he said, lips spread into a forced smile. “Where do I start...” he wondered aloud. “When you called me the first time, I was on the pier. It was pretty late, nobody was there, really… and honestly, I don’t remember a whole lot. It was like I wasn’t in control of my body, but I knew kind of what I was thinking. And I knew I was gonna jump. You called me again, so I threw my phone down,” Link looked down and sighed. “Then you texted me and… I kind of realized I had a lot more to live for and it wasn’t worth leaving it all behind. I’ve got Christy and my kids and the best friend in the world.”

Rhett was completely flabbergasted by the imagery of the scene in his mind. Nonetheless, he couldn’t help but notice a salient discontinuity with the story. “Link… if you didn’t jump, then why were you wet?”

Link raised a tremulous hand to cover part of his face. “Because, Rhett,” he paused and choked back a sob. “By the time you got hold of me, I’d already jumped.”

Rhett’s stomach plummeted. Flustered, he grabbed Link’s hand from his face and forced him to maintain eye contact. For a while, neither man said anything, but Rhett’s eyes were flooded with tears as he kept his gaze fixed on Link’s face. Finally, as Rhett squeezed the other man’s wrists with an inescapable grip, he parted his lips to speak. “Link, I want you to look at me, and I want you to know that I am here for you,” his tremulous voice uttered, “and as long as I’m still on this earth, I’m gonna do whatever’s in my ability to help you. But brother, I can’t do that if you don’t say something...”

Cheeks flushed, Link simply nodded. “I feel like a crazy person,” his chin quivered as he flicked his eyes back up to Rhett. “I’m not in control of myself. I’m not making my own decisions anymore. I’m scared,” he admitted.

With this revelation, the atmosphere developed a staleness that inflicted a chill shooting across the back of Rhett’s neck. “Link, as long as I’m here, I’m not gonna let anything happen to you,” he promised. Rhett lifted a hand to Link’s chin and tilted his head up.

“I know you won’t,” the smaller man winced. A tear raced down his cheek and Rhett wiped it away. “You’ve never left me alone, Rhett. I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if you did.”

Rhett smiled. “Well, you’ll never have to find out,” he responded. He wrapped a hand around the back of Link’s neck and bent over, softly pressing his lips onto his forehead. When he fell back into his seat, he saw faintly that Link was blushing and had attained a slight grin himself. Even so, Rhett still felt obligated to be of emotional support. “There’s nothing I want more than for you to be okay. And if it takes me staying by your side all the time, well… I’ll be happy to do that. As long as it makes it easier on you.”

Link huffed and examined the dashboard. “Rhett, I know right now it’s not that obvious, but I’d be doing the same for you if you ever needed it.”

A buoyant air coursed through Rhett’s body. “Not a doubt in my mind.”

Silence circulated through the vehicle, both men glancing towards the floor. Then, out of nowhere, Link wrapped his hand slowly around Rhett’s, pulling it softly up and down. “I love you,” he said, still looking down.

A bit surprised, Rhett’s head careened towards his friend. He felt an expression of admiration plastered on his face, but the dimness of the scene likely shrouded it into nebulosity. “I love you too,” he replied, a smile perched on his lips. The two absorbed the moment and sat quietly for a few seconds, eyes wandering along the astral lights that dotted the city in front of them.

Rhett finally disentangled his hand from Link’s and adjusted himself into the seat. “We better get,” he suggested, followed by an obedient nod from his companion. Rhett retrieved the keys from the console and started the car. Link turned on the radio as they pulled out onto the road, taking his time to flip around on radio stations until he finally settled on the clearest one. Satisfied, he fell back into his seat.

After he took a moment to decipher the song that was playing, Rhett turned to Link. “Diamond Rio,” he remarked.

“Yep.”

The traffic was quite sparse, allowing Rhett to relax as he drove one-handedly towards their destination. He discovered Link’s eyes were shut as they passed through the intermittent illuminations of streetlights. With that, Rhett was calmer than he’d been all day, and so he leaned back comfortably from behind the wheel and soaked in the radio’s music.

_I’d start walkin’ your way_

_You’d start walkin’ mine_

_We’d meet in the middle_

_‘Neath that old Georgia pine_

_We’d gain a lot of ground_

_‘Cause we’d both give a little_

_There ain’t no road too long_

_When we meet in the middle_


	15. Chapter 15

“Wake up, buddy,” Rhett’s voice rose as he parked in Link’s driveway, carefully tossing a hand on the man’s thigh.

At first he was somewhat disoriented, but Link soon flicked his eyes up to Rhett and straightened himself up. He quickly evaluated himself, from his sandaled feet to his blanketed torso to his straggly black hair in the mirror. There were circles bruised beneath his eyes and an overall redness to his cheeks. He looked back to Rhett, a hesitant expression on his face. “I’m gonna scare Christy if I walk in like this.”

Rhett pursed his lips and gave his friend a once-over. “I see how it could be alarming,” he stated humorously.

Link rolled his eyes. “I at least need a shirt.”

“Reckon your Pluto shirt’s dry?” A smile crept on Rhett’s lips.

A brief laugh was expelled from Link’s body. “I tossed a cardigan in the back after I left,” he recalled, craning his neck to view the seats behind him. “A-ha!” He hooked his finger around a grey pile of fabric and yanked it towards himself.

As Link unfolded the cardigan, Rhett pulled the blanket gingerly from his shoulders. The skin beneath was glossy, but not wet. With Rhett’s assistance, Link stuck his arms through the sleeves and began buttoning. When he finished, the highest button was at his lower chest, giving the illusion of an exaggerated V-neck. Rhett chuckled at the sight.

“Shut up,” Link teased.

In an effort to obey his friend, Rhett shifted his eyes up to Link’s. Again, he let out a silent huff of laughter.

“What?!” This time, Link seemed to yell, but still conveyed a playful tone.

The larger man shot an unforgiving glance at him. Eyes planted on Link’s hair, Rhett bit his lip. “We’ve gotta do something about that, brother.”

In a minor panic, Link’s hands flew up to his head and attempted to smooth down his hair. “Well fix it, you ninny!” he ordered.

Passively, Rhett complied. His graceful fingers ran through Link’s hair like water, gently pulling the tangles away from his scalp and marginally flattening the curls. He combed through his bangs and swept them to the left, grabbing onto longer pieces and twisting them around his fingers. The shininess never returned, but Rhett managed to shape it in a way that didn’t blatantly insinuate he’d been in a mishap.

Link looked back to the mirror and applied a few final touches, then slid his glasses up his nose. “Do I look okay? Or at least like I’m not gonna walk into a room and horrify everyone in it?”

Rhett’s bottom teeth were bared as he smiled. “You look like a million dollars,” he exaggerated. “Let’s go.”

Upon exiting the truck, Link followed Rhett’s lead into the house. The taller of the two paced discreetly down the hallway searching for any indication of their families. He heard their wives’ hushed voices as he approached the living room, where he stopped for a moment and gestured to Link, who followed distantly behind. _They’re in here,_ he mouthed, allowing Link to catch up.

When Link made it to Rhett’s side, he spared a pleading glance, to which Rhett responded by gripping his shoulder. This seemed to fortify him as he nodded and started towards the doorway.

Link was first to walk into view, shortly followed by Rhett who stood behind him. Christy and Jessie sat together on the couch, each with a mug in their hands. Their eyes darted up in surprise having not heard the men enter the house – but Christy’s apprehension was short lived. Carelessly, she placed the mug on the coffee table and ran over to Link, wrapping her arms around him. Link held her as she cried quietly into his chest.

Rhett slid past them and made his way over to Jessie. They exchanged a sympathetic glance, and Rhett sat down on the other side of her. He looked up momentarily to see Christy, who had fallen away from Link and placed her hands on his chest. Link bent down to look her in the eyes, and Rhett heard him whisper faintly. With that, he led her out of the room and down the hallway, their steps heavy as their sound grew quieter.

Jessie swept the hair from her face and leaned into the couch, looking interrogatively at her husband. Rhett turned towards her and observed the exhaustion that infected her limbs. He dropped his head against his fist, which was propped at the top of the couch, his eyes fixed on Jessie. “What’d you guys talk about?” he asked.

She bit her lip and flicked her eyes to the doorway before responding in a hushed manner. “I was just trying to keep her mind off things. She had herself worried sick.”

“Ah,” he muttered.

“Yeah, nothing too crazy though,” she replied, followed by a pause. “How’s Link?” Jessie’s voice carried an air of despondence, her smile unconvincing.

The mention of Link’s name caused Rhett’s expression to light up. “Oh, he’s doing alright. Better than he was, anyway.” It was then, he became scared – he didn’t know if that was necessarily true, but it was at least what Link would have wanted him to believe.

“Oh?” Jessie appeared to be puzzled, but the visage soon left her face, likely out of the reluctance to argue. “Well, that’s good, dear.”

Rhett nodded. “I’m still a little worried. I just feel like he’s unpredictable at this point,” he reasoned aloud. “I’ll do the best I can to keep him safe and under control while we’re back home. It’s a job, I’ll tell you that.”

Jessie’s brow furrowed sympathetically. “I’m sure it is, Rhett. But you’re responsible for making sure he’s loved and fed and sleeping at night. People going through a tragedy, they tend to forget about basic necessities. Really, it’s gonna be like taking care of a baby… but whatever you do, don’t treat him like he’s a burden.”

There was an overt tinge of empathy that seemed to foster her incentive, which Rhett quickly picked up on through her tone. “You’re right,” he acknowledged. _Don’t treat him like he’s a burden_ … Had Rhett failed to provide compassion for the man who’d consistently offered him his unmitigated loyalty? As the sentence continued to play in his mind, it became exponentially more difficult to hush. Rhett’s heart sank.

Evidently, Jessie noticed the amount of distress that had so quickly engulfed her husband’s mind. Taking him by the hand, her voice fell to a whisper: “You can handle it, hon. You’ve been doing it for thirty years.”

An authentic smile unfurled from beneath Rhett’s mustache. “Yeah,” he concurred, “you’re right, Jess.”

The apples of her cheeks pushed up into her tired eyes. She said nothing more, but simply broke eye contact and allowed her weight to collapse softly onto Rhett’s chest. He wrapped an arm around her and leaned his head back, his thoughts contrastingly chaotic. Jessie’s breathing was relaxed.

Shortly thereafter, Rhett began to notice the suppressed mumbling of Link and Christy’s voices from the front of the house. Though they were undecipherable, the overall tone could not be mistaken – defensive. Most of it seemed to be coming from Link’s side… but then abruptly, the communication ceased altogether. Rhett’s eyes shot open in confusion, allowing a few seconds for the argument to continue, but instead he heard the sharpened voice of Christy, who had broken into a sob. Jessie, too, had opened her eyes, and was noticeably more tense. She sighed.

It took a matter of seconds for Link to console her, which was followed by a lengthy silence. This time, Rhett found it to be comforting – like the relief at the end of a thunderstorm, even if the sun was still hidden behind its rainclouds. A few more minutes passed, and then the hefty sound of one person’s footsteps crept towards the doorway. Link approached Rhett’s view, evidently drained in every sense of the word. His body was languid, but his face was expressionless. “Link…” Rhett stood, mouth slightly agape.

Link lifted his hand and shook his head. “Rhett… don’t,” he started as he fell into the chair on the other side of the room. “Just – Just pick me up in the morning, okay?”

A feeling of hopelessness arose in Rhett’s lungs. He compliantly flattened his lips and opted to obey the man, who appeared to have lost every ounce of his ambition. “Alright, brother. I’ll call you in the morning.”

There was a hint of appreciation in Link’s nod. “Thanks, Rhett.”

Had Link not been so irritable, Rhett would have offered a hug. Instead, he found himself exiting to the hallway without appropriate closure, his wife following closely behind. Rhett quickly made his way to the car as Jessie went to retrieve Shepherd, who’d spent the distressful remainder of the evening in Lando’s room. The moment he entered the car, Rhett began to grow irascible and all but shoved the keys into the ignition. He subconsciously hoped his wife would remain oblivious to his unusually short fuse… but of course, that was unlikely.

With Shepherd by the hand, Jessie emerged onto the porch and shut the door behind her. The boy appeared to be entirely worn out, to Rhett’s relief. Jessie also seemed rather tired, and understandably so. The two sluggishly entered the car with no more enthusiasm than a couple of doornails, but either way, Rhett found a sliver of contentment in knowing he and his family were returning home. The day’s events had been nothing short of enervating – and still, Rhett couldn’t help but focus his mind on his best friend. The apprehension was far from gone, but it was significantly outweighed by the daunting exhaustion that loomed over his head.

Hardly a word was uttered on the ride home. Upon reaching the driveway, Rhett felt as if he were pushed by the last surge of energy available in his body – it took everything in him to make it into the house. His family following behind, he strolled lethargically to the kitchen and dropped the keys onto the dining table. Innately, he returned to the hallway and trekked the short distance to the living room, where he slipped off his shoes and collapsed onto the couch. In less than thirty seconds, it seemed, he had drifted to sleep.


	16. Chapter 16

Rhett awoke the next morning in the most uncomfortable configuration he’d ever been in. His face was smashed into the arm of the couch, forcing the weight of his body against his neck. He’d apparently fallen asleep on his arm, which burned tremendously beneath his body heat, but at the same time it was absolutely numb. Additionally, his spine felt as though it had contorted into a tightly compressed wave – the aggregate discomfort forced him to dread getting up.

But eventually, he did. Rhett arose slowly, supporting himself with his forearm resting on the cushion. Thoughts began to piece together, a summative recollection of yesterday’s events pounding into his skull alongside the tension of a headache. _Link and I are in Los Angeles. Link’s mom was in a car accident. We’re going to North Carolina today._ At least now, Rhett was only a bit groggy – the sleep had significantly revitalized him.

Rhett’s phone was still in his pocket. He pulled it out and read the time – 7:34. Though he detested the idea of moving, Rhett made an effort to pivot his focus around Link, which somehow motivated him to get ready. He left his phone on charge and ambled ever so slowly to the bathroom.

He spent the next forty-five minutes showering, shaving, fixing his hair, clothing himself – the typical morning routine. A quick glance in the bathroom mirror revealed the magnitude of his stress; the bags beneath his eyes were dark and enormous, his face noticeably sunken. He looked almost sick – and he didn’t exactly feel top-notch either – but decided to tough it out as he always did. Whatever sacrifice he had to make for Link that day, he’d approach it with blindness and full-force. _Don’t treat him like he’s a burden…_

After restlessly wandering around the house, Rhett found himself back in the living room. Just then, he remembered he’d yet to print their tickets’ confirmation codes – but thank God he’d gotten their flight booked the night before – and raced to his laptop to do so. The clock read 8:30, which he found to be a decent time to call Link – and, spur of the moment, he decided to do as he analyzed the on-screen information.

Link was quick to pick up. “Hey,” his distorted voice sounded.

“Hey, brother. You doing alright? Sleep okay?”

The man sighed. “Uh… Yeah, yeah, fine. You?” he replied.

Rhett furrowed his brow. “You sound tired, Link,” the blond asserted, his voice contentious.

“Ah… a little bit,” Link capitulated. “What’s up?”

Eyes tracing the computer screen, Rhett bit his lip. “I’m just looking at the flight details. The plane leaves at eleven-twenty, so we’d better be at LAX by ten or ten-thirty. That’s about a forty minute drive,” he calculated aloud, “so you better be ready in an hour or so. Is that doable?”

Link chuckled. “Yeah, man. That’s fine.”

Shutting the laptop back, Rhett smiled. “Alright. I’m gonna eat real quick and I’ll pick you up around nine-thirty, okay?”

“Okay, Rhett. Later.”

“See ya.” When Rhett ended the call, he trudged to the kitchen and tossed a couple of Pop-Tarts into the toaster. The previous day was so eventful he’d essentially forgotten to eat, but even so, he wasn’t terribly hungry – for both himself and Link, extended amounts of anxiety forced alterations in eating habits, which Rhett knew was particularly severe in Link’s case. There was also an adverse correlation in their sleep cycles, Link battling the constant desire to sleep while Rhett would keep himself awake at night analyzing potential solutions for even the most unsolvable of perils. Typically, Rhett was adept at coping with stress whereas Link was more likely to crack beneath a pressurized situation; but if need be, they were both always available and adamant to help keep each other sane.

Rhett ate in silence next to the kitchen window. The faint dreariness of the overcast sky accurately reflected his state of mind – he wasn’t unhappy, per se, but there was an overt loss of anticipation that prohibited him from looking forward to the day’s happenings. For one reason or another, his headache began to worsen, but so long as it wasn’t detrimental he placed it in his mind’s trunk to potentially be dealt with later.

Time inched by as Rhett gathered himself together. If it was necessary, he and Link could stay in North Carolina for five days, which would give them time to arrive back in LA by the following Sunday night. Rhett hoped the situation would pan out in Link’s favor enough that they didn’t have to be there quite that long… and upon that thought, a stark epiphany embedded itself within his mind.

A galvanizing pang split through his side like a current of electricity. It was as if his soul had seeped out of his body, creeping first through Rhett’s heart, then dropping quickly down to his stomach and subsequently escaping through his lungs. His eyes fluttered open wide. It was a purely chilling experience – a nauseating lightheadedness infected Rhett as he clenched his eyes shut behind the room that spun around him. He quickly came to terms with the fact that all of this was in his head – and that was exactly the reason it frightened him. As his headache intensified, he clasped his hands together at the base of his neck and forced himself against the table.

And where there should have only been blackness, there was the most blaring light he’d ever seen.

By then, consciousness was questionable. The only grounding connection to the world was an ample ringing in his ears, of which the tangibility was up for debate. Although reality and illusion were indiscernible, Rhett was lucid. He felt the rapid beating of his physical heart, but upon opening his eyes, he was no longer in his kitchen. Looking around, there were no objects to be made out. All was white, hazy, indistinct, and to Rhett’s discovery, humid. Fog clouded towards the floor in a sinister manner, engulfing his feet into translucency. In irrational fear of being swallowed by the mists, he hurriedly stepped away and evaluated the scene.

The further he wandered, the lower his perceptibility became. In all his years of lucid dreaming, Rhett had never had more difficulty trying to wake himself up. There was a disconcerting ambience about being locked alone in his own mind that was comparable to roaming an empty street at night. As Rhett’s connection with the real world grew weaker, he felt an increasingly violent urge to vomit – and just as he bent over, clenching his stomach, a presence loomed over his shoulder. The shock factor alone was enough to stop him instantly, but along with it was the overwhelming sense of reality. Immediately, he recognized there was a hand on his shoulder, and it squeezed with the familiarity of home.

Rhett turned around to see the sweet expression of his best friend towering over his scrunched body. Link crouched just enough to offer a hand, which Rhett accepted and was pulled up. Eyes wide, he caressed his hands along Link’s chest, examining him with a level of immaculacy he never had. The details were so precise to real-life it was near trickery – the all too familiar blue plaid shirt, the honey ombré of his glasses, the softness of his blue eyes, the gloss of his obsidian hair… was it possible that this was real?

It wasn’t long before another bout of dysphoria settled in as nausea, forcing Rhett to the ground. Sympathetically, Link followed his lead and sat down beside him. The smaller man scooted closely into Rhett’s chest and gently allowed his head to fall onto his shoulder.

Just as Rhett realized he was afraid to initiate conversation, Link interrupted the thought. “I’m always on your mind, aren’t I?” his sweet voice inquired.

Instead of being alarmed, Rhett slung an arm around his friend and fixed his gaze into the distant, glaring horizon. “You are,” he admitted. Despite being fully aware that Link was a figment of his own imagination, he couldn’t help but pretend it was actually him – he missed Link.

“I know I mean a lot to you, Rhett,” Link continued.

“You do.”

Growing dissatisfied with the short, cryptic responses, Link offered a different approach. “Tell me what you’re afraid of,” he said, turning his inquisitive gaze up to Rhett. “Your heart’s beating out of your chest.”

Rhett exhaled a stalling chuckle before making a confession. “What I’m most afraid of? Losing you.”

Link remained leaned into the taller man’s body as he responded. “I guess you’ve got good enough reason to fear that,” he agreed. His tone was a mixture of regret and helplessness.

A tear welled up in Rhett’s eye and threatened to bead down his cheek, but he suppressed. “You act on a dime sometimes. You don’t see consequences. You don’t think…” his voice broke.

“I’ve apologized endlessly for that, Rhett,” Link sternly declared. “I can’t control something that impedes the very reason I act.”

A sigh pushed through Rhett’s lungs. There was a one-sided misunderstanding – but evidently, Link was the part of him that cajoled his open-mindedness. Because Rhett was aware that this ‘Link’ was only a part of himself, he let the man have it. “And it’s selfish. You’re being selfish.”

Defensively, Link removed himself from Rhett and rose his eyebrows. “Selfish!” he repeated. “If that’s what you wanna believe, then so be it. But I will have you know that selfishness is rooted in the love for one’s self, and certainly not in the feeling of pure lostness and abandonment.” Link was near crying, but maintained a strong forefront. “I wasn’t in the right mind and you know it. I have made that abundantly clear. But for some reason, you choose to think that I’m supposed to think of others when I can’t even think of myself.”

Rhett took every single word to heart and was left speechless. This is what he expected – just what he needed to hear. There was an even blend of satisfaction and remorse lingering in his mind. Gradually, the scene began to grow blurry and dark as his best friend arose and walked into the fog with an air of rejection. The grey faded into black, and for a moment there was absolutely nothing.

Quite rapidly, though, the nothingness transformed into something – there was a sleek, hard surface that Rhett felt beneath his forearms, and a tinge of sweetness in the surrounding air. There was an overall clarity that caused Rhett to perceive his surroundings to a degree he’d never experienced. He felt his heart beating and his lungs expanding, and he swore he could feel the very blood circulating through his body.

Rhett flicked his eyes open and found himself once again crashed against the kitchen table. Consciousness swelled through his vessel in a manner that emphasized an enlightened state of mind. Rhett had returned from the depths of his subconscious, and brought along with him a brand new understanding – but just how long he’d been out was a mystery. Uprising, he checked his phone for the time and found that the clock read 8:58, which gave him just enough time to collect himself and make it to Link’s.

As if nothing had happened, Rhett rose to his feet and steadied himself with a hand on the table, cautiously making his way out of the room. Ten minutes was too short a time frame to accomplish much of anything, but was just long enough to make Rhett restless. He piddled around the house until he left, mostly dissecting the episode he’d had as he straightened things around. In his mind, a slew of thoughts and promises shot back and forth like a yo-yo. One thing, however, resonated within him as absolute truth:

_Link Neal, my best friend and my brother… Whatever it takes, I swear to God I’ll get you through._


	17. Chapter 17

There was a peculiar degree of incentive ingrained in Rhett’s mind as he walked outside for the first time that morning, although he couldn’t pinpoint exactly why – but he did boil it down to one thing: he missed Link. What had once been dread was now channeled into eagerness to see his lifelong companion, simply out of the presence of his being. Perhaps some of the excitement was a vestigial instinct of Rhett’s to protect, but whatever the case, he longed to see the man, no matter how broken he would become. _I’ll fix him_.

In one of the longest fifteen-minute car trips he would ever take, Rhett made his way to Link’s house. The driveway was real, the house was real – the man who walked out the door, ragged and stubbly, was real. Still a bit disoriented from the beforehand instance, Rhett stepped out of the vehicle, blissfully unaware of the grin he bore on his face.

Link’s steps were light. When he looked to Rhett for the first time, he furrowed his brow and reflected the blond’s toothy smile. “What’re you so happy about, man?”

Suddenly, Rhett became self-conscious and lifted a hand to his face. A bout of hesitation preceded his response. “It’s just… It’s good to see you,” he broke eye contact.

Link awkwardly pressed his lips together, and the two of them headed towards his truck. Rhett retrieved their bags from the back and transported them into his own car with the closing _thump_ of the trunk. For a moment, he just stood there, hands flat on the car’s surface.

The sun shone bleak on the horizon, its rays scattering messily through a patch of trees as Rhett drummed his fingers in momentary thought. Link cocked his head to the side upon analysis of his friend, a tinge of concern bubbling in his expression. Glancing up, Rhett observed Link’s tongue was jutted into the side of his cheek, a telltale indication of his notorious scrutiny. In an attempt to shuffle his perusal, Rhett arose and trudged towards the car’s door – but, of course, to no avail.

“Hold on, Rhett,” Link’s quiet voice sounded as he lifted a timid hand. “C’mere.”

Preluded by a guilty sigh, Rhett complied. “What?” he turned around.

Link rested his torso on the trunk and folded his legs neatly behind him. “What’s up with you, man?” he asked. A welcoming smile adorned his lips.

Rhett fixed his gaze on the windshield, and at that point was flushed with uncertainty – Link obviously cared for him, there was no doubt in his mind, but at the same time he felt his friend was asking out of obligation. Even so, he hinted towards his own distress. “Ah, I’m alright. Had a bit of a rough morning but it’s fine.”

“Oh,” Link frowned. “It’s… nothing to do with me, is it?” he asked meekly.

The taller man’s eyes flicked anxiously into Link’s and quickly back to the car, paired with a scrunched brow. “Oh, no,” he replied, clearly fabricating. _Damn it._

Link simply smiled. “I’ve known you plenty long enough to tell when you’re lying to me, Rhett.”

A dry breeze moved across the scene, prickling softly into Rhett’s beard. “I know,” his low voice sounded, gaze shifted to Link’s hands.

“Brother…” Link sighed. “I know what you’re trying to do. You’ve been holding back because of me. I’m gonna be okay, Rhett. Just tell me what’s wrong.”

There was an evident hesitation in Rhett’s response, his eyes solemn as they met Link’s. The man had a gift for attaining information from him, that much was certain – and of course, as Link’s soft eyes cast an overwhelming flood into his lungs, Rhett couldn’t help but spill. He began his recollection where he and Link left off on the phone. With all the detail in his memory, from the foggy setting to the clothes they both wore, he painted the scene through vibrant splashes of imagery. Though it seemed most of it was aimless rambling, Rhett soon began to realize that Link’s patience with him knew no bounds – the unwavering concern had cocked the man’s head to the side, his piercing eyes remaining intact with the movements of Rhett’s lips… and it was then, Rhett’s tired stare contoured Link’s body and for the first time that week conceived a question: Why had he always closed himself off to his feelings when he had the most nurturing man on earth as his best friend? The realization nearly knocked the breath out of him and he was left on the other side of the trunk supporting himself with his forearms, wide-eyed, looking up to Link.

A row of pearly teeth poked out from under Link’s upper lip as he smiled out of obligation to comfort his friend. “Don’t worry so much about me, okay?” he insisted, leaning closer to Rhett.

There, a pause lingered between their breaths… and, with tears beading into his eyes, Rhett parted his lips. “You damn near killed yourself, Link…” the blond whispered. His heart ached.

Recognizing the gravity that had evidently crushed the other man, Link’s expression shifted to a more somber one. “Rhett…” was all he could manage to say.

As soon as his name was spoken, Rhett was unable to contain himself any longer and subsequently abandoned his composure. His head collapsed into his arms and, quietly, he began to cry. With all the articulation he could muster, he retorted. “After all that happened yesterday, you are not about to convince me you’re okay. Because you’re not, and we both know that. You’re not fooling anyone. Not me, not Christy, not Jessie, not the kids…” he paused. “That’s not how you get better, brother. I may not be able to nurse you back to health but I’ll gladly die trying.”

Link grabbed Rhett’s hand and squeezed with a grounding force. “I appreciate everything you do for me. I truly do,” he smiled, eyes glistening. “But you’re doing all you can do. That’s more than I can ask for. I want you to understand that.”

Rhett pursed his lips. “At this point, I’m just trying to keep you breathing, Link,” he blinked the tears down his cheeks. “I’m so scared I’m gonna wake up one morning and find out you’re gone, God knows where.”

A sigh was expelled from Link’s lungs. “I’m sorry…” he said with a weakness in his throat. “Honest to God, Rhett, I wish so much that I could ease your mind a little bit, just for the sake of your own self. I just – You’re freaking out more than you should be and it’s worrying. You don’t deserve–“

“ _Dammit_!” Rhett interrupted with the startling crash of his fist against the trunk. “We’re not talking about me right now, Link! We’re talking about you!”

Still mildly alarmed by Rhett’s changed demeanor, Link’s soft eyes fell dazedly back down to his friend’s hands. “You’re still important,” he mumbled.

Rhett buried his head into his hands. “If you cared so much about me, you’d listen to me. I’m messed up right now because _you’re_ messed up. You’re in no position to be analyzing my feelings when you can’t even take care of your own. Hell, it’s taking two of us to keep you alive at best…” his voice broke. Just as he ducked his head once more, he felt the firm grasp of Link’s hand around his wrist.

“Rhett,” the smaller man whispered, with a tone so dour the very sun seemed to extinguish. Link’s bony grip foreshadowed a revelation that caused Rhett’s hair to stand up. With a lump in his throat, Rhett slowly turned his eyes up to the newly grave face of his best friend.

“Rhett…” he repeated, this time more emotionally charged. “This isn’t about my mom anymore.”

A pang of confusion dropped from Rhett’s heart down to his stomach. What had Link just imparted? For a few seconds he pondered, paired with an expression of relentless anxiety. The psychology wasn’t quite adding up – of course, Link’s kryptonite was his notorious tendency to become frazzled under pressure, but an overreaction as severe as the previous day’s was entirely unlike him. _This isn’t about my mom anymore_ … Rhett’s mind repeated – and then, as if all the haze had been removed from his obstructed view of Link, he arrived at an overt realization. _Of course_.

“No, Link… It’s not, is it?” Rhett’s voice was gruff. He slipped his hand into Link’s and allowed their fingers to intertwine.

Pained smile intact, Link offered a clarification. “I love her to death, and you know I’d take a bullet for her any day of the week… ‘cause you and her are the two greatest people to have ever graced my life,” he paused in admiration of the man before him. “Don’t get me wrong, Rhett, I’m terribly upset about the whole situation… and depressed, for lack of a better word. But that’s not something that makes you lose your entire mind… and man, I’ve lost every bit of mine.”

Rhett simply nodded. “I’m running out of options, brother.”

“I know…” Link’s voice hitched. “I’m scared.”

Squeezing the shaken man’s hand with a firm grasp, Rhett allowed his stormy eyes to drill into Link’s. “Well, buddy, I can tell you right now, you’re not gonna face this alone. You’ve provided me with so much loyalty over the years… and it’s high time I return it.” Despite his choked execution, his words were authentic – Rhett hardly broke a promise.

Link seemed to be moderately comforted as the tense muscles in his arms relaxed into a more reposed state. He pulled softly on Rhett’s fingers and led their hands closer to his own body, causing the taller of the two to lean even further into Link’s space. Their faces were just close enough that their noses could touch, but neither made eye contact. Instead, Rhett kept his gaze fixed on the wedding band of his companion’s ring finger – _Commitment, love, and persistence. Unconditionally._ He remembered the day so many years ago, towering over the other groomsmen as the room fell silent with the words of the priest. He remembered the genuine smile that donned Link’s lips as he stood hand in hand with his bride, looking proudly over to his mother who sat in the wooden pew, a tissue planted in her lap. He remembered how absolutely euphoric the very look on Link’s young face was upon being pronounced husband to the woman who’d provided him with more elation than he could fathom…

And then, Rhett snapped back into reality. His best friend no longer harbored joy in his soul, his face streaked in tears – but just where his familiar joviality had disappeared to was as much of a mystery to Rhett as it was anyone else. An air of sympathy remained in his expression as he analyzed the man. There was nothing short of a shattered spirit lingering in Link’s body, and of all the dreadful emotions cycling through his empty eyes, the most prominent was an insurmountable exhaustion. Upon further induction, Rhett became perturbed by Link’s body language. His eyebrows lowered and he bit his lip.

“Did you get any sleep?” he stroked his thumb across the base of Link’s hand.

The smaller man looked up. “Yeah, I did, actually. I went to bed right after you left and woke up a few minutes before you called.” In comparison to his prior expression, Link was beaming; finally, he bore good news, regardless how small.

Rhett found satisfaction in this, although he failed to take into account that this meant Link’s deprivation was emotional – but, of course, they both knew that anyway. “I’m glad,” Rhett responded lightheartedly. He gave Link’s knuckles a final squeeze before prying their fingers apart and turning to give the back windshield an imperious slap. Lips pressed together, Rhett twisted his body into an upright position. “We better head out.”

Link grunted affirmatively and the two began pacing towards their designated seats, Rhett behind the wheel. As Rhett fiddled around with his seatbelt, he felt a striking calmness in Link’s hand wrapping around his own – a feeling he’d long forgotten. He spared a glance towards his friend, whose smile was a blend of pain and adamancy.

As Link’s lips parted, his fingers tangled around Rhett’s palm. “I’m gonna get better. You have my word.”

There was a vague simplicity about this promise that provided the both of them with a sense of true hope, which had become scarce. Link’s newfound commitment meant the world to Rhett… because honestly, Link was his world.

And with that, Rhett couldn’t help but beam the widest grin he could muster.


	18. Chapter 18

Not much was discussed on the way to the airport, Link’s head resting against the window for the majority of the ride. Despite Link’s assurances, Rhett would occasionally glance over to him just to ensure he was still there – oh, how he feared losing him…

It wasn’t something Rhett _wished_ to think about, but he couldn’t keep himself from taking the worst into consideration. Somewhere between the Los Angeles suburbs and LAX, on the smoothness of the freeway, Rhett vowed for the umpteenth time that morning that Link Neal would not leave his sight; another instance like the night before would surely cause his heart to stop at the news his best friend had disappeared. Link was undeniably Rhett’s other half, and probably his better half if he wanted to be honest – but instead of dwelling on events past, Rhett found a smile blooming on his lips at the sight of his friend, who was right by his side and had fallen limp in the passenger’s seat.

A short amount of time later, the two managed to make it to the airport. By now, the process had become innate – they’d both boarded so many planes between their job’s demands and distance from their families that it was a foundational part of travel. Security was rather quick that morning, but after all, it was a Tuesday in the middle of autumn, so the stress was at a reasonable minimum. It was mostly Rhett this time around that dealt with the airport’s processes, but considering the situation, he didn’t mind. However, he was relieved when they were both granted permission to board the plane – Rhett offered the window seat to Link, who kindly took advantage of the blond’s chivalry.

From that point on, the morning was slow. Link had assumed his sleeping position, leaving Rhett to ponder alone for the next five hours – but it wasn’t long before he, too, let his head fall into the back of the seat and allowed the white noise of the plane’s engine to lull him to sleep.

Rhett’s dreams eventually came to a halt, though, as he voluntarily woke up after a lengthy bout of slumber. In the front of his mind, he was groggy, but beneath his stinging eyes he felt rejuvenated. Rubbing his eyelids, he adjusted his back in the seat and glanced momentarily up to Link – and was taken aback.

The smaller man had scrunched himself as far into the seat’s corner as his body would allow. His expression embodied discomfort, hairline soaked in sweat with his bangs swept away from his forehead. Link’s cheeks were splotched with patches of pink, the rest of his face a ghastly white. There was a slight tremor in his chest with every breath he took, and each puff of air was exhaled slowly through the thin slit of his lips.

As soon as Rhett processed the situation, he bolted upright and placed one hand on Link’s shoulder and the other on his wrist. Breathing rather heavily, Link responded by letting his head fall in Rhett’s direction. At this, the blond tightened his grasp. “What’s the matter, Link?” his voice was abundantly clear, but not so loud he made a scene.

Link shut his eyes, lashes stuck together. “I’m just nauseous,” he slurred.

Rhett scanned the smaller man up and down, taking note of his exhausted limbs. “Have you eaten?”

To Rhett’s dismay, Link shook his head. “I will when I get rested.”

Glancing to Link’s thighs, Rhett sighed. “You’re stressed out, brother. More than you’re letting on,” he reprimanded. “I want you to be safe. Just eat something and you’ll feel better. I promise.”

Link’s eyes fluttered open, brow furrowed defensively. “Rhett, I can’t. Even talking makes me sick. Hell, _thinking_ makes me sick. I mean,” he paused, wincing towards the floor, “we’re about two hours away from what could possibly be the worst thing I’ll have experienced in a long time. I can’t just calm down and be okay for you right now, alright? I’m doing good to be sitting here talking to you. Just… let me handle it. I think I know a little more about what’s going on in my own head than you do, Rhett.” Although his tonality was collected and his intent wasn’t harmful, Rhett couldn’t help but feel a culpable shock in his heart.

“I’m sorry, Link,” Rhett merely whispered. He turned his head to his own feet, sinking back down into his seat.

Evidently taking note of Rhett’s guilt, Link quickly veered his intentions in another direction. “Oh,” he clasped onto the other man’s arm, “I wasn’t trying to snap at you. I know you’re just worried,” he trailed off as Rhett again granted Link his attention. His tired eyes met Rhett’s, lips parted. “I’m gonna be okay, man.”

Rhett had lost count of how many times his friend had said this, and thus he took his assurances with a grain of salt. Only a second’s worth of hesitation preceded his retort: “No, Link… You just want to think you’re okay.”

Link was taken by surprise. “Rhett, I’m trying –“

“I know you’re trying!” the other man broke in. “But if you’re not getting anywhere, it doesn’t change a thing. You’ve _got_ to come to terms with the fact you’re going through something difficult. I know you’ll find a way to cope with it, because time and time again you’ve proven to me you’re able to do that for yourself. But you’ve also shown me you try to get through things without acknowledging you’re hurting.” Rhett’s heart seemed to pound through the skin of his chest.

An indignant expression donned Link’s face. “Well how am I supposed to get better if I don’t try?”

“I’m not asking you to mope around, Link, listen to me!” he chided. “I just don’t want you to bottle things up, alright? Tell me what you want to say, not what I want to hear. It’s important to me that you’re actually getting better.”

Link sighed. “Okay, Rhett,” he capitulated, straightening himself up in his seat. Rhett found himself looking into the empty, crystal eyes of his best friend, which adorned a doleful expression that had become all too familiar. “Honestly, I just want to break down and cry. I’m on the verge of panic virtually all the time. I’m constantly exhausted and sick to my stomach and I’d just as soon disintegrate and become one with the dust of the earth. It’s just one regret after another,” his chapped lips formed into a desolate smile. “I’ve never been worthy of what I've been given. I’ve been a son unfairly blessed… a husband unfairly accepted, a father unfairly admired… and a friend unfairly loved. I’ve been given too many chances by the people I mean the most to. Honest to God, moving away from home was the worst mistake I ever made.”

The words hit Rhett like a ton of bricks, although he knew the reasoning behind them. “We may have left a lot behind in North Carolina, but the things we’ve cultivated since the move to LA are… well, they’re indisputably phenomenal. You know we can’t regret the things we’ve done.”

Link’s lips curved into a smile. “In the grand scheme of things, I suppose,” he submissively agreed. “But that doesn’t override the sacrifices we’ve had to make. We get to see our families a couple times a year, and it’s starting to occur to me how much I want to go home and just stay indefinitely. We never _had_ to leave, Rhett. Sometimes I wonder how different things would be if…”

“If we’d stayed that undisclosed basement location in Lillington, North Carolina…” Rhett completed. As he turned his gaze down, he noticed a glint of realization in Link’s eye. “Things had to change, buddy. The city opened up so many opportunities we could’ve never had back home. We’ve got the freedom of the seas to express our creativity however we want. It’s such a beautiful thing.”

An authentic smile flashed across Link’s lips. “You know you’re right about essentially everything?” he commended. “I dunno man. I guess I don’t _regret_ the move per se, but I definitely wish we had the best of both worlds.”

Rhett’s lips flattened. “Well Link, you’ve gotta pick the greater of two goods.”

“Yeah,” the man replied breathlessly. “But had it just been me, I don’t think I could have done it.”

Confused, Rhett cocked his head to the side. “Even if you knew the success you’d achieve out in LA?” he slowly asked.

“Nope.”

“Why not?! That doesn’t make any sense!” yelled Rhett, his tone contentious.

Link’s cheeks reddened above a subtle grin. “Business taken out of the equation, you’re still a huge part of my life. You know I couldn’t have up and left home if it’d just been me,” his eyes fell. “But you were worth the sacrifice.”

The very idea of Link uprooting his family to live in LA for a job opportunity was, admittedly, unlikely. At the same time, though, Rhett hadn’t realized just how much the man relied on him – partially because has wasn’t usually so vocal about it. Even so, it wasn’t necessarily a revelation. Rhett typically took it upon himself to be Link’s crutch whether he was called upon or not – and this was the first situation in which he couldn’t hold the both of them up. It undoubtedly took a toll on Rhett, but the biggest thing at stake was Link’s safety. Some things, he supposed, should be dealt with when the time was appropriate… but between the rainy days and fretful nights, time had become scarce. And when Rhett was left without time to think, he often fell victim to an empty feeling called depression.

The mere concept of depression had become nearly obsolete, however – and Rhett attributed this to the fact he was surrounded by people who kept him curious… namely, his best friend. He loved the man unconditionally, from his innermost quirks to his outermost flaws – and, to Rhett, every ounce of him was worth saving. If Link was broken, he’d fix every piece of him…

And sometimes, Rhett would put him back together when he didn’t even know he was broken.

But for that, Link owed him nothing. Rhett’s greatest reward was the sound of Link’s heart beating, and the pattern rise and fall of his chest that so many had grown to take for granted. The charm of his smile was just a bonus, but Rhett had been lucky enough to be the cause of it more times than he could dream of counting to. What he’d give to see it just one more time in its authenticity, the laugh lines of his cheeks prying his lips apart to reveal a set of endearingly crooked teeth – an expression whose joviality knew no limits and provided Rhett with a reminder of home. For that, he owed Link _everything…_

For all the things he never said, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt now for staying so quiet when the least Link deserved was the world and all its love. There was a particular moment where Rhett’s mind began to flash through past memories, paired with an evident disorientation plastered on his face. Making his body small, he focused a blank stare on the seat in front of him. Throughout their entire lives, Link had followed Rhett’s lead without question – his loyalty was boundless, and Rhett had never known a friend so compliant. He resented how often he’d taken him for granted.

His graciousness, selflessness, loving nature, persistence, devotion…

_Oh, how he’d taken it all and run._

Rhett started to believe he’d torn Link apart at the seams without realizing it, from his constant nitpicking to his insufferable frustration. But to that end, Link never legitimately fought back, as he always trusted in everything that Rhett said, and thus every upbraiding he’d received from him was perceived as truth. But just like anyone else, Rhett was oftentimes wrong… wasn’t he?

Of course he was – but, perhaps, his arrogance sometimes trumped the feelings of others… even Link’s. As multitudes of unsaid apologies accumulated in his conscience, Rhett felt a tear beading down the bridge of his nose – but what truly snapped him back into reality, thirty thousand feet up in the leather seat of a Raleigh bound plane, was the gentle fingers of his best friend wrapping around his forearm. Rhett turned to look at Link, and was consoled by the brunet’s solicitous expression.

“You okay?”

It was then, Rhett felt the weight of the world dropping all at once onto his chest. _Of course I’m okay_ , he so desperately wanted to say, but his lips didn’t budge – the only configuration of words he could possibly string together burned his tongue with a tormenting desire to be said. And so, with a lump in his throat, he summarized his plethora of emotions in a single statement:

_“I love you, Link. I love you so much.”_


	19. Chapter 19

The plane landed safely at the Raleigh airport just a few short hours following the conversation. As usual, the procedures were mundane, allowing Rhett a time slot to plan a few things for the remainder of their journey. For the first time in days, a vast eagerness shocked him into a state of anticipation – they were finally in their home state, and although he loved Los Angeles, he couldn’t help but harbor a soft spot for North Carolina. He could only hope Link felt the same – but in regards to his predicament, it was doubtful. The grave look on the man’s face added on to Rhett’s theory, but even so, he prayed for good news.

As soon as they’d retrieved their bags, the two ventured to the airport’s Rent-A-Car. Link’s steps were even quicker than Rhett’s, and he didn’t know whether to attribute it to excitement or anxiety. Either way, the blond had trouble keeping up and ended up falling behind, his grey shoes scraping across the rough concrete.

It wasn’t long, however, before they found themselves at the dealership. After what seemed like a century of tedious paperwork and negotiation on Link’s behalf, who insisted he’d pay for the insurance despite Rhett’s offer, they finally reached the point where they attained the vehicle of Link’s choice – a well maintained Chevy Silverado, which still emitted a pungent new car smell upon entrance.

Rhett slipped into the vehicle with ease, leaving Link to struggle into the passenger’s side. “Having trouble over there?” the taller of the two remarked, noticing the difficulty with which Link scrambled into the seat.

Authoritatively slamming the door, Link cast a second’s glance at Rhett. “Hush up,” he told him, reaching for his phone. “Louis said they’re at Central Carolina. You need directions?”

The blond hardly considered: “Nah, I remember where it’s at. Had to get stitches there when I cut my leg open at Black and Veatch.”

“Mm,” Link grunted as he clicked his seatbelt into place. “Buckle up, Rhett. I don’t want you gettin’ hurt, too.”

Rhett’s obedience didn’t hesitate. He knew Link’s words meant to carry a layer of his notoriously dark disposition, but he couldn’t help but feel an unwavering pang of empathy for the man. “You got it, buddy,” he frowned, stretching the seatbelt across his waist and inserting the keys into the ignition. Link’s mood seemed utterly drained, as if each word he said extracted more and more energy from him. Choosing not to dwell on this, however, Rhett took on a new tone. “Hungry?”

Link’s tired eyes traced across the dashboard and finally up to Rhett. “Not really,” he disclosed. “I feel sick, if I’m being honest.” The exhausted man slumped back into his seat, and with that, Rhett expelled a concerned sigh.

The truck’s foreign clock read 6:24, which seemed a bit off before Rhett had taken time zones into account. It was Tuesday evening, giving them four days to spend in North Carolina in order to get back to LA by Sunday – and Rhett assumed Link would take advantage of all the time he could. Making his way to the interstate, he flipped the radio to a country station and allowed the hazy stereo to fade softly into the sound of the truck’s engine.

About forty minutes passed before Rhett turned onto the Asheboro exit, and it was at the stoplight he noticed the severity of Link’s unease – the man rung his bony hands, which were clasped beneath his hunched stature, and hung his head at the height of his shoulders. His breathing was controlled, but a bit choppy, which led Rhett to land a sliding hand across his thigh.

“You alright?” his raspy voice inquired.

Link reached a hand to the bridge of his nose and plucked his glasses from his face, a telltale indication of discomfort. “Worried,” he half-whispered, a lump forming in his throat.

Rhett relocated his grip to Link’s knee and squeezed. “It’s gonna be alright. Just breathe, Link, you’re okay.”

Just as he turned onto the highway, Rhett felt a cold and trembling hand crawling onto his wrist, each finger a bundle of nerves bound by trust. He was reinvigorated by Link’s need for tactile reassurance, and was indeed happy to provide him with all the comfort he could muster. Soon, Link’s shaky fingers slid in between Rhett’s, clasping tight around his palm. The two men exchanged a glance, Rhett’s smile warm against Link’s glassy eyes. The brunet’s features transfixed Rhett into adoration, but despite the trance-like state, he returned his gaze to the road.

From there, the distance to the hospital was rather short – although when paired with the apprehension in Link’s grip, each second was longer than the last. The smaller man’s fingernails began to dig into the pad of Rhett’s hand, retracting only when the blond flinched. Rhett’s sight wandered towards the distant road, where the scenery started to become all too familiar. A dim flashback from so many summers ago grazed his mind, and it was at that point he realized the nearing proximity of their destination – the building was in plain sight, its brick walls standing in contrast against the grey sky. Rhett flipped on the signal, giving Link a final evaluation before turning sharply into a newly paved parking lot. The other man’s gaze was slow in movement, but complete and analytical. His mouth hung open as he read the silver embossed lettering that stuck out from the side of the building: _Central Carolina Hospital_. He then pursed his lips and looked desperately over to Rhett.

In response, Rhett allowed himself a delicate smile. “We’ll go in just a second. Take a deep breath, alright?” he said, gently placing the back of his hand on Link’s chest.

“I’ll try,” Link committed. Despite the hint of weakness in his voice, Rhett recognized the dedication that lingered in his eye. The man’s tenacity truly exuded more inspiration than Rhett ever imagined could come from him – but even still, after thirty years, he was surprised by him every single day.

It wasn’t long before a light rain sprinkled onto the windshield. Rhett didn’t bother flipping on the wipers as it became more intense, the scene around them darkening and finally becoming indistinct. With the little light that remained in the truck, he turned to look at Link. His features were intricate beneath the dimness of the evening, the highlights of his eyes glaring above a thin layer of moisture that doused his waterline – and at that observation, his chin began to quiver. Rhett placed a hand gingerly atop the center of his companion’s back, rubbing circles ever so softly into the fabric of his shirt. “You’re scared,” he deduced aloud.

_“Terrified,”_ the other man admitted.

“That’s okay,” Rhett leaned just a bit closer. “Truth be told, Link, I don’t know what’s gonna happen. I hope with all my heart everything works out the way you want it to, but if we’re being realistic, brother… it might not be that way. That being said,” he continued, “you’ve been tough as nails through this whole thing, alright? The last thing I want to see is you giving up.”

Link nodded, a single tear dropping onto his face. His pink lips were pressed tightly together.

Rubbing his thumb across Link’s cheek, Rhett felt a few tears of his own threatening to surface. “You mean a lot more to me than I let on. I mean that,” his voice trembled.

“You’re not gonna cry, are you?” Link whispered.

The blond shook his head. “Nah. At least one of us has to stay dry.”

Link studied the windshield for a moment, then looked back to Rhett. “In this weather?” he said rhetorically, an inviting smile on his lips. “Come ‘ere, brother.” The smaller man reached his arms around the broadness of Rhett’s shoulders and squeezed, cradling his chin into the curvature of his neck.

Warmth resonated in Rhett’s lungs as he reciprocated his friend’s embrace. “Link, you don’t have to…” he trailed off, nuzzling into his shoulder.

“No, Rhett,” his gravelly voice projected, “but neither did you. I haven’t been near grateful enough for everything you’ve done. You didn’t have to fly across America with me just to make sure I was okay, but for whatever reason, you did, no questions asked. And that’s something I really admire about you,” he digressed. “You’re impulsive in all the right ways.”

_Impulsive_. That was an interesting description, Rhett found – it explained his proclivity to accompany Link to this mediocre hospital in the middle of North Carolina, but the word also carried with it an accusatory connotation. Admittedly, he was notorious for making decisions with gusto, but each was sound, as it was backed by a foundation of meticulous thought and study.

As to whether or not he was truly “impulsive”, it was hard to say. Sure, he was never the type to sit on the fence in any situation, but that was because he’d spent ample amounts of time developing a stance. It wasn’t rare of Link to commend him on his tendency to be right; after all, Rhett was more of a thinker while Link was eager to take action – so then, by logic, wasn’t _he_ the impulsive one?

With that thought, Rhett backtracked to the intricacies of Link’s statement, and there he found the underlying self-deprecation that resided within – _in all the right ways_. It wasn’t much longer before he snapped back into reality and found himself once again wrapped within the arms of his best friend. Judging from the gentle, pattern circles Link rubbed into his back, he’d only been lost in his mind for a few seconds. Nonetheless, he allowed his hands to rest atop the other man’s shoulders and buried his head deeper into his neck. He sighed.

Slowly, Link’s fingers came to a halt. He pulled himself apart from Rhett, whose tired gaze had wandered to the floor. “What’re you thinking about?” he softly asked, running a hand down the larger man’s arm.

Rhett huffed. “Oh, a lot of everything. Primarily you,” he admitted, his voice shy. “Link, I don’t want to talk about me right now. You have _got_ to stop avoiding your own pain.”

The brunet’s lips flattened as his eyes fell to his knees. “I don’t know why you can’t see I earnestly care about you. Yes, Rhett, I have things I’m dealing with right now… but my problems don’t trump yours.”

“That doesn’t matter!” he rebuked, hands tossed defensively into the air – but as if he retracted the decision of moving, he pulled them quickly back to his lap and lowered his voice. “Link, I’m okay. I really am. I understand you’re concerned for me and it’s more than gratifying to hear you say that and – I’m sorry. That’s not something I should take lightly and I apologize for brushing it off as such. But,” he looked sincerely at Link, “as long as I’m on this earth, I’m gonna carry you through whatever you can’t walk through on your own. That’s the task that this world assigned to me. And to this day, I don’t believe I’ve failed to do that once.” He paused, biting his lip as a sheet of gloss coated his eyes. “It means more to me than you’d care to know, brother. _You_ mean that much to me.”

Rain pelted the truck, but Link’s sweet smile radiated past the darkness. “You’re all kinds of crazy,” he whispered. “But I don’t have a clue what I’d ever do without you.”

Rhett grabbed Link by the shoulder, and this time pulled his head to rest onto his own chest. “I feel the same way.” Rhett ran his calloused fingers through Link’s hair, comforted by his submissiveness. “Sometimes, honest to God, I feel like we were sent for each other. I mean, look at us, Link. We traveled 2800 miles across the country and here we are, keeping each other sane in the middle of a rainy parking lot in Asheboro.”

As the thought grazed his mind, Link let out a soft laugh. “We sure know how to get down on a Tuesday night.” His tone was that of an exhausted man, but Rhett decided not to dwell on it. Instead, he laughed a bit himself and shut his eyes as he pressed his cheek into the top of Link’s head.

“We sure do.”


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***Important message: If you've been reading this fic as I've been posting it, this is for you! I somehow accidentally forgot to post a chapter a while back and just recently found out. I've got it all fixed now, and the chapter is where it's supposed to be on AO3. Anyway, it's very important to the plot, so I highly suggest reading it! If there's been any discontinuities/confusion with the story, this will probably clear it up. You can read the missing chapter here: http://archiveofourown.org/works/4440692/chapters/11913236

Rhett continued playing with Link’s hair for several minutes, and had he not been interrupted shortly therein, he swore he would have stayed in that position for hours. Just as Link had completely collapsed his weight onto Rhett’s body, however, he received a text. It was then he arose, pulling the phone from his pocket and looking intently towards the screen. “Louis,” he’d said dismissively as he unlocked it.

Comforted by the rain’s consistent pattering, Rhett watched Link as his eyes darted through the text – and, to Rhett’s surprise, the man’s desolate expression had transformed into one of utmost elation. Looking up, he beamed a long forgotten smile. “Rhett, look!” he said with rapture, handing the phone over.

Rhett cradled the device in his hand and winced at the brightness of the screen. Finally, he made out Louis’s text bubble: _Good news, kiddo. Things are looking better. Me and your mama can’t wait to see you._ Upon reading, he drew a breath and smiled back at his friend. “This is great, Link!”

Link nodded profusely, forcing his trembling lips together. He then dove with open arms towards Rhett, squeezing his shoulders with force. “I’m so happy…” he said into the larger man’s chest. He then pulled quickly apart, hands braced on Rhett’s shoulders. “We have to go. We have to go right now.”

The man’s tone was so persuasive, Rhett hardly took into account the implacable force of the rain. It was apparently so dense, even the colors of the building a few yards in front of them were blurred to nebulosity, forcing him to momentarily pause. “Link, it’s—” his voice lowered to a halt as he studied the other man’s eyes, and found nothing short of utter sincerity. Rhett scratched the back of his head and found himself, once again, looking to the floor. “You know,” he reconsidered, fixing his gaze back on Link, “you’re right. Let’s go.”

A gleeful expression donning his face, Link complied with enthusiasm. There was no hesitation as he reached for the door and opened it into what appeared to be a different realm – only a few feet in each direction could be made out, and the entire remainder of the background was a shrouded grey color. Even the building in front of them was an indistinguishable shadow in the distance, and the clustered sound of raindrops hitting the ground was a pandemonium of whips and cracks – but Rhett was blinded to it by the persistence that overflowed from Link’s mood, and so he opened his door and stepped eagerly onto the asphalt.

As soon has his shoes touched the ground, Rhett’s body was pelted by rain. This didn’t stop him, however, from running hastily to the other side of the car. By the time he arrived at Link’s side, his hair was drenched and plastered against his forehead in dark curls. Clenching his eyes shut, he vaguely heard the sound of the passenger’s door opening and Link’s flat feet clacking against the blacktop. He found himself protectively pulling Link against his chest as he shut the door back, then gently pushed him away. The smaller man flung his arms over the top of his head in an effort to stay dry, and Rhett couldn’t help but smile.

A sequence of thunder rattled from the distance, causing Link’s eyes to widen – but Rhett soon lost sight of them when his friend’s glasses became translucent with moisture. Frantically, Link’s hands scrambled to his face to wipe his lenses, but to no avail – they immediately clouded up again, which led him to frustration.

“I can’t see,” he mumbled, voice lost in the tempestuous winds.

“What?” the blond yelled back. He lifted a hand and swept the fragmented bangs from Link’s face.

“I can’t see!” he repeated. “Everything’s all wishy-washy.”

Amused by Link’s exaggerated distress, Rhett bent down and removed the glasses from his face. “That any better?” he asked, the apples of his cheeks visible.

“No!” he laughed. “Rhett, I’m blind as a bat. You’re gonna have to lead me or something.”

With no hesitation in his movement, Rhett pulled Link’s arm behind him so as to wrap it around his waist, draping his own arm around his shoulders. Rhett held him close, squeezing the helplessly dependent man into his side. “Hold on, buddy,” he leaned close to Link’s ear, “I’ve got you.”

As the sidewalk became visible, Rhett was able to see clouds of mist rising from the concrete. “Step up,” he warned as they approached the curb, keeping an eye on Link’s feet as he blindly stepped up to the elevated surface. From there, he simply followed the path for a few short yards until they approached the entrance door, where they stood beneath the shaded protection of a brick overhead. Finally, Rhett loosed Link from his clutch and coaxed him towards the wall. Eyebrows raised, he pushed his friend’s soaked bangs from his face. “You alright?” he asked, sparing a quick glance at the glass entrance beside them.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he affirmed, lips slimly parted.

“Alright,” Rhett breathed. “Alright… good.” He looked towards the ground with a vast feeling of imminence that dropped suddenly to his stomach – but he ignored it, and took the damp end of his shirt between his fingers to wipe the lenses of Link’s glasses. Observantly, he lifted them up to his view, and then gingerly placed them back onto Link’s nose.  “Better?” his brow raised.

“A little streaky,” Link smirked, “but it’s fine.” He proceeded to awkwardly tap his feet, fixing his gaze on the door in front of them. The tile floor could be seen from the other side of the window with its green and white pattern waxed in a glossy sheen. The receptionist’s desk was also visible, and by the time Link had spotted it, his teeth poked out from his open mouth in a radiant smile. He pressed his lips back together as his eyes met Rhett’s.

Rhett cupped his hand around Link’s shoulder. “We made it, brother,” his soft voice declared.  

“ _Yeah_ ,” Link merely whispered. His lip quivered, and a tear dropped from his eye.

“Oh, come on now. It’s only uphill. I promise,” Rhett crouched to Link’s view and swiped a quick thumb across his cheek. “You know I’m right behind you, don’t you? If anything happens I’ll be right here, alright?”

Link shut his eyes and nodded. “Thank you, Rhett.”

“Anytime,” Rhett assured. He pulled the brunet in for a brief hug, rubbing his back before pushing apart. “I believe in you, Link. So much.”

His lips formed into an anxious smile. “Thank you,” he repeated, a fresh air of confidence in his stance. It was evident to Rhett that Link was trying to adopt a stoic disposition, but having known the man inside and out, it was fairly easy for him to see through the fabrication. For a moment, he considered embracing Link once more, but decided against it when he noticed the unwavering destination on his face – so instead, he settled for a reassuring squeeze of the shoulder.

Rhett allowed a bellow of thunder to suffice as a transition. “You ready?” he proposed, making sure his tone was patient.

With not a trace of reticence in his voice, Link turned his face up to Rhett. “I am.”

At the response, Rhett’s heart deepened in the warmth of relief – a feeling that, in just a few short days, had left him to become tense and restless. By that point, his introversion had far surpassed its limits, yet he laboriously continued in favor of Link’s improving stability. Taking his friend by the hand, Rhett ambled anxiously towards the door and held it open for Link.

When the door closed behind them, the rain sounded distantly from the tin roof in a muffled conglomeration of drops. The waiting room was almost entirely vacant, and there was a crispness to the cold air within the building. The faint smell of latex and bleach wafted into Rhett’s nostrils, accompanied by an almost eroding sensation with every breath. Nonetheless, he grabbed Link by the sleeve and led him to the desk, their shoes clacking against the tile floor.

A heavyset, bespectacled woman stood imperiously behind the granite counter. She appeared to be in her late 40s, a shade of cheap lipstick beginning to run into the creases outside her lips. Tilting her head up, her piercing gaze fell in line with Link’s, then Rhett’s. “Can I help you boys?” she scowled upon examining their drenched bodies.

Mouth somewhat agape, Rhett spoke up. “Yeah – um, yes ma’am,” he corrected. “My name’s Rhett McLaughlin. This is Charles Neal,” he gestured to Link, “we’re here to see Sue.”

Upon the request, the woman adjusted her glasses and careened her head towards the computer to her right. “Be gettin’ out some ID,” she said as she scrolled, searching the hospital’s database. Saying his mother’s full name somewhat beneath her breath, she then poked her head up and searched Link’s eyes for confirmation. “S’that right?”

Link nodded, handing her his license along with Rhett. After a quick evaluation of their IDs, she returned them and looked back towards the monitor. “Room 226. Take the elevator up a floor and hang a left.”

Shoving his license back into his wallet, Link expressed a half-hearted smile. “Thank you, ma’am,” he said, turning to walk in the direction of the elevator. Rhett followed closely behind.

The silver door closed with ease. As if by telepathy, the two men exchanged a similar glance – of course, they’d shared the same thought. Rhett was first to break into a huff of laughter. “She was… somethin’,” he remarked.

“Yeah,” Link concurred, brow furrowed. “Why’d she have to see our licenses?”

Rhett’s mouth twisted in thought. “If I were guessing, your mom’s probably selective on visitors. Probably had to confirm we’re the real deal.”

“Mm,” Link hummed. He turned to view the buttons spread across one side of the wall and proceeded to push the one that said ‘2’, which flashed a dull orange. As the elevator began its ascent, Link ran a hand across his damp forehead and shut his eyes.

Rhett stepped closer to him. “You alright?” he softly asked.

Link nodded. “Thinking.”

“Yeah?”

The smaller man tilted his head up, eyes glistening. “Yeah.”

Gently, Rhett landed a hand on the back of Link’s head and persuaded him into his chest. “I’m right here,” his soft and low voice sounded. He sifted his tough fingers through the other man’s hair.

The ride seemed to take days, Link evidently holding back tears. But eventually, the creak of the door signaled their arrival to the second floor. Rhett was first to step out and onto the white tile, which was so clean the reflection of the walls could be seen alongside the glaring lights of the ceiling. Link followed loyally behind him with a forced coolness in his step, hands jammed into the tight pockets of his jeans. “ _226…_ ” he mumbled as he analyzed the doors on either side of the halls. Going to the right, the rooms continued in ascending order, and by way of instruction, Rhett led Link to the left.

The halls were essentially empty, but well-maintained – when they approached the protruding edge of an inside wall, a single nurse flew quickly by, greeting the two with a courteous nod of the head. Otherwise, the building was seemingly vacant. This made it easy, however, to navigate with little trouble – and in less than a minute, they arrived at the correct door: 226, printed in chipped white paint on a blue plate, braille embossed just underneath. Rhett exchanged a glance with Link, who admittedly looked as ready as he’d ever be. A somber expression on his face, the blond knocked confidently on the door.

Seconds later, it swiftly opened, and a rather tall and fit man in scrubs stood before them. Giving them each a once-over, he darted between their eyes and placed a gloved hand on the door’s handle. “Charles and Rhett?” he asked.

“Yes sir,” they replied in unison.

“Excellent. I’ll step out of your guys’ way then – please, stay as long as you like,” he insisted, and scurried away as he scanned the windows behind them.

Link entered the room first, darkness settling in around the illumination of a single lightbulb. Across the room was a bed shrouded in white sheets and strewn pillows – and in it was Link’s mother, who sat upright but was seemingly oblivious to their arrival. Louis sat beside her, hunched over the bed, and fixated his eyes on Link. “Hey boys,” his raspy voice greeted as he looked back to Sue to obtain her attention. “Look, hon,” he said, and pointed once she made eye contact.

She turned to look towards the door, where her eyes fell suddenly onto her son. “ _Link!_ ” she cried, her glasses reflecting a brightness into their eyes. Louis’s eyes widened, and his mouth jarred open. For one reason or another, Rhett too was stunned – perhaps it was because he’d imagined the worst, but at any rate he was pleasantly surprised by how well Sue had responded. He felt relief for Link, who stood frozen in his tracks as he stared blankly back at the bed.

Her attention was short-lived, however, as she dazedly looked towards the ground and back around the room. Taking this to his advantage, Louis arose from his seat and ambled over to Link with difficulty in his step. “Link,” he whispered, a look of unabashed wonderment in his expression, “you’re the first person she’s recognized all day.” He cupped a hand around the man’s shoulder.

The brunet attempted a smile, but broke into tears with the consolation of his step-father’s touch, to which Louis responded by embracing him. He broke it off quickly, patting him on the back. “We’ll give you all some privacy,” he said as he gestured to Rhett, who humbly nodded.

“Appreciated,” Link replied. He made his way towards the chair Louis had previously occupied, timidly shuffling across the floor.

Eyes on the door, Louis slapped Rhett lightly on the back. “Come out here, boy. We’ll have us a chat.”

Rhett longingly turned his head to look behind his shoulder. There Link sat, hand in hand with his mother, holding back a flood of tears with a smile that could have broken at any moment. Time essentially stopped for a moment as Rhett realized how desperately he desired to hold his friend in his arms just one more time… had he failed to provide his best? Rhett pondered this as he watched for a few more seconds, suddenly angry with himself for all the things he hadn’t provided. As much as he wanted to run back, he quashed the feelings and looked solemnly towards the peppery tiled floors.

With the heft of a thousand regrets weighing down his heart, he followed Louis into the hallway.


	21. Chapter 21

 “You’re an awful good boy, son.”

Rhett’s eyes darted up from his feet to look at Louis. He hardly knew the man, but for one reason or another, he felt a peculiar level of respect for him. Perhaps it was because he greeted him with commendation rather than ingratitude – indeed, Rhett had received ample deprecation from his own self in the preceding couple of days, so it was a breath of fresh air to hear even the vaguest of compliments.

“Am I?” he responded half-heartedly, his insecure gaze trailing along the wooden grain of the bench they both sat in.

Louis scanned Rhett’s profile. “Far as I’m concerned, absolutely. You’ve about done yourself in providin’ for that boy. I can see it all over your face.”

The blond huffed, dismissively waving his hand in the air. “See, that’s what he’s been telling me. Thing is, it’s not enough. I can’t stop him from hurting, and that’s just – it’s not enough…” he trailed off.

The older man squinted. “There’s no stoppin’ that, boy. People are real particular about how things’ve gotta be. If there’s one bad thing goin’ on, it’s a bad stretch in life.” Louis paused until Rhett returned eye contact. “Time might heal all wounds, but it ain’t gonna kiss ‘em better.”

“Yeah,” Rhett agreed. “I, uh… I love him, y’know? I just don’t want him to hurt. Since the incident, I’ve felt like the most pathetic excuse of a friend. I can’t fix him, Louis, and that’s getting to me. It really, really is.”

Betwixt the myriad of problems at hand, Louis adjusted himself in the seat. “But you understand there’s nothin’ you can do about that, don’t you?”

A pause. “I do, but –”

“Do you really think Link’s gonna hold anything against you when you’ve about given him the clothes on your back to see him happy?”

Rhett’s mouth dropped slightly open, his hazel eyes evaluating Louis’s. “No – no, he’s very grateful. He would never,” he crossed his arms across his lap. “But at the same time, there was always something more I could’ve done.”

“There was, huh?” Louis leaned back. “Look at yourself. You’re run ragged. Your hair’s disheveled, your eyes are red, you’ve got crow’s feet reachin’ to your ears… there’s a limp in your walk and you’re shakin’ like a dog, and here you are tellin’ me you ain’t given it your all. You’re worn completely out, boy. I can tell by lookin’ at you.”

Upon the examination, Rhett at first exhaled a doubting breath – but it was at that point, he noticed a difference in the way his hair lay on the top of his head. He noticed how his eyes stung. He noticed how terribly his back ached and the shiver that traveled down his spine. Admittedly, Louis had a point – so with that, Rhett arrived at a consensus. “I think you’re right,” he smiled.

“Mm,” Louis grunted, and tapped his fingers against the bench. “Now I want you to promise me something, alright?” his brow raised.

Looking awkwardly to the wall, Rhett nodded affirmatively. “Okay,” he considered, rekindling eye contact.

Louis softly placed his hand on Rhett’s knee. “I want you to keep doing what you’re doing. That boy means the world to his mama,” his eyes began to glisten, “and that woman’s smile makes me fall in love with her every single day.”

Rhett perceived the severity in his voice and nodded once again. “You have my word,” he said gruffly, a tinge of sympathy in his promise.

As his own thoughts began to quash, Rhett kept an eye on Louis, who had fallen silent. Thinking back to Link, he wondered how he was doing inside the room – what things his mom knew, the people she recognized, the general nature of their conversation, or if there was any conversation at all. Snapping back into the hard seat of the bench, Rhett found himself watching Louis’s dreary eyes fall dismally to the floor. The answers were right there.

“Louis,” Rhett’s voice sounded, “how, uh… how’s she doing?”

The man’s brow raised. “Short-term, pretty well. She’s not hurt too awful bad – had to get stitches in her forehead, broke a wrist…” he trailed off. “As far as long-term… we’re not sure at this point.”

Rhett’s expression lit up. “Not sure?” he began. “Last I heard, it was permanent memory loss. Was something else said about it, or…?”

“Slim chance,” the small man muttered, “but since it’s just her episodic memory that’s shot, they said it might come back with therapy. Might be all of it, might be bits and pieces, and might be none at all. We’re prayin’ for all we can get, but we’ve got our expectations pretty low. This kinda thing doesn’t always work. All depending.”

_Therapy._ Rhett had heard of this technique before, but it seemed all too abstract to him – how could it be possible that forgotten memories could just be _recovered_? Psychologically, it didn’t make sense, but regardless, he offered his kindest sentiment. “All we can do is hope for the best.”

The windows before them were wispy with fog and trails of raindrops, which struck within Rhett an immaculate feeling of nostalgia. He returned to the April showers of North Carolina, staring bleakly out of his first grade classroom where the playground could be seen from the carpeted indoors – jutting his chin into his hand, he’d turn to Link and shake him by the shoulder. _“It’s a shame it’s rainin’. We coulda played Racecars,”_ he’d say.

_“That’s alright, Rhett. Maybe it’ll quit by the time school’s over and we can play at my house. If you wanna, I mean.”_

_“But what if it ain’t stopped?”_

_“Then I guess we’ll play in the rain.”_

_“But it’ll be muddy. You don’t like gettin’ muddy.”_

_“That don’t matter. Best friends are s’posed to play when it’s messy out.”_

_“How come?”_

_“’Cause they like each other’s company too much to mind.”_

“Sir?”

Rhett was startled. He found himself seated in the chilly hallway, allowing his gaze to focus and travel up to the figure in front of him – a rather young, blonde nurse stood kindly beside the wall, eyebrows slanted into a position of mild concern. As he pieced the situation back together, he glanced to his right to discover an empty space where Louis had sat just moments before. Rhett waved loosely at the bench as if to feel for him, but instead of landing on a tangible surface, the back of his hand slapped coldly against the wall. Lips parted, he was left speechless as a pair of quizzical eyes analyzed him.

The nurse ran a nervous hand down her forearm. “Visiting hours are over at eight,” she innocently stated. “Are you waiting on someone?”

Rhett sifted his fingers through his hair and stared blankly at the floor. “Yeah, my friend’s in there,” he responded.

Ponytail brushing against her shoulders, the nurse pursed her lips and strolled hastily towards the door. She knocked patiently on the hollow surface and opened it inwards with the creaking of metal hinges to accompany. “Visiting hours are over at eight, sir,” she repeated into the room, and after a moment proceeded down the corridor.

When the slim hall finally returned to vacancy, Rhett craned his neck once more to observe the area beside him. Louis had seemingly disappeared without him realizing, and as jarring of a thought this was, Rhett wasn’t terribly concerned – of course, Louis was stable and wise enough to handle himself. His heart swelled with a momentary sense of closure, which was a strange feeling in the first place – but, perhaps, it had only become foreign amongst the recent clamor. Rhett swiped a tense and rough hand across his forehead and awaited his best friend’s return.

But Link never came.

As a bout of impatience settled into his heart, Rhett retrieved the phone from his pocket to check the time – 8:10. He’d become antsy, tapping the toes of his shoes against the floor, but nonetheless decided on waiting just a while longer. After all, Link had essentially been smothered having traveled across the country with him, so it was the least he could do give him a bit of space.

When he still hadn’t returned by 8:20, Rhett felt his anxiety beginning to bubble. By this point, his eyes were flicking back and forth between the door and his phone, where he anticipated a possible text from Link. Growing restless, he shifted heavily around in his seat.

By 8:25, the aggregate worry had become too much for him, and Rhett finally decided to enter the room and call upon Link himself. He slowly stood, knees popping beneath the rest of his weight, and took a few small steps towards the door. Biting his lip, he landed a couple fingers on the handle and pushed down and forward to reveal the inside of the room.

Rhett swept his gaze across the floor and allowed it to travel up a figure that loomed over the bed. In a panicked search, his eyes averted to the other side of the room, but he couldn’t manage to find what he was looking for – and so he looked back to the bed, where he interlocked eyes with the other person. In his stomach, he felt a nauseating dysphoria, and his lips parted to a miniscule slit as he spoke with a rasp. “Louis,” he whispered.

As his name was spoken, Louis rose up, bracing a firm hand around the chair’s arm. “Rhett,” he said, a note of surprise in his voice. “What’re you still doin’ here?”

A trail of goosebumps shot coldly down his spine as Rhett’s wandering mind centered back into reality. “He was… Link was –” he quietly deduced. “Where’s Link –” he finally stammered.

At the other side of the room, Louis arose from his seat and puffed out his chest. “Now how in the hell am I supposed to know when I thought you and him left thirty minutes ago?” he asked rhetorically, ambling closer to Rhett. “Riddle me that, you irresponsible shit.”

Rhett’s heart sank to the floor. How he hadn’t noticed Link’s absence was completely beyond him – surely he should have seen if he’d left the room, right? But no – Link had evidently disappeared half an hour prior, and in return left Rhett backed into the doorway at the hands of his stepfather. Though his thoughts were mostly fixated on the whereabouts of his best friend, Rhett still felt an instinctual fear as Louis pierced him to the wall with an expression of controlled ferocity. “Louis, he –”

“Slipped right out from under your nose, did he?” his gravelly voice rattled in Rhett’s brain. “I’m gonna tell you once, boy, so it’d be in your best interest to listen to what I’ve got to say. We clear?”

“Yes sir.”

The older man paused, arms crossed and chin tilted up. “Now I’ve noticed somethin’ about you,” he began. “You’re in and out like a radio signal. One minute you’re alert and next minute you’re dead to the world, and can’t _nothin’_ get your head outta the clouds.” His gaze drifted down Rhett’s body and back up to his face. “That’s an awful dangerous thing and if I didn’t know any better I’d have your ass hung on the wall.”

Rhett’s stomach churned in a thick layer of guilt – he’d promised Link the one thing he knew he could provide: his full, undivided attention… yet somehow, he became distracted, and ditched the commitment entirely. A submissive smile stretching across his face, Rhett openly lifted his hands. “I don’t have an excuse. I don’t.”

Pressing his lips together, Louis nodded once in Rhett’s direction. “But I can tell the only thing on your mind’s findin’ that boy as soon as I quit scoldin’ ya,” he declared, his tone conclusive.

“Yes sir,” Rhett’s voice hitched.

Louis smiled, a glossy sheen over his eyes. “Every minute’s a minute lost. You go on and get to findin’ him. My orders.”

“Yes sir,” the taller man repeated once more, a trace of fear in his covenant. With a final acknowledgement, he bolted out the door.

Trotting briskly down the hall, Rhett jammed a hand into his back pocket, and was relieved when his fingers brushed against a cluster of keys. Short of breath, he sighed thankfully as he examined every nook and cranny of the hospital. _He can’t be too far_ , his mind raced – but despite a steadfast incentive, his steps grew heavier and his thoughts despondent.

And then suddenly, time slowed to a halt. The building that had once felt so smothering and constricted had, in just seconds, conformed to the most spaciously infinite edifice in all the universe – and even so, Rhett felt as though he were confined to a specific point. His knees buckled beneath him and he crashed ruthlessly onto the ground, a batch of tears flooding at once onto his cheeks. Inhaling a sharp gasp, Rhett felt his heart pounding beneath his chest as he raised his hands to drape atop his shoulders. He rested his head into the wall and, defeated, clenched his eyes shut.

In the midst of panic, Rhett was soon alarmed by a manifest sensation that moved down his neck. Indeed, a slick but bony grip had fallen calmly against his skin, and so he pushed himself away from the brick and crumpled back upon his ankles. Tears clouded his sight and dropped one after another down his cheeks in abounding streams. Once his vision settled into clarity, the hunkered man lifted his eyes and was plagued by a series of dreadful emotions that made his stomach lurch.

There was a crouched figure before him, capricious in movement, whose overwrought expression belonged to none other than Link Neal.


	22. Chapter 22

Within seconds of realization, Rhett collapsed into his best friend and clung desperately to his shirt.

“Come on, Rhett. Stay with me,” the other man pleaded. With one hand, he pulled the blond tight against his body, and with the other he rubbed in a circular motion on the small of his back. Link’s body was tense, and his touch consoling.

Rhett dragged a tremulous hand across his eye and curled his head into Link’s chest. There, he felt an odd sensation – an abnormal level of moisture creeping against his hairline, which caused him to flinch away. As he retreated back to his own knees, he gave the man a brief evaluation – and found that, once more, he was drenched from head to toe. Flashbacks from the pier amassed in his mind, triggering an onslaught of terrible anxiety – surely, Link hadn’t broken his promise… Surely…

But the false hope did nothing to quell Rhett’s state of mind, and so his mouth fell open after cycling through feelings of concern and betrayal. He placed a hand on Link’s chest and pinched a piece of soaked fabric from his collar.

When no words surfaced from Rhett’s lips, Link glanced where his hand was and then back into the man’s stormy eyes. “Oh no, Rhett –”

“You didn’t,” he merely croaked, eyes glued to the floor.

Link grabbed Rhett’s forearm with both hands, coaxing his fingers to intertwine with his own. “No, I didn’t,” his voice was grave. “I swear to you, Rhett, I promise. Have I ever violated your trust?”

The larger man shook his head.

“Rhett, _look at me_.” Link had ducked his head into Rhett’s view, but only then did he respond. “Calm down, brother. Can you do that for me?”

A quavering breath exited Rhett’s lungs. He nodded promisingly, lips sealed together. His eyes still wandered towards the ground, but Link placed a hand beneath his chin, and his gaze pliantly followed.

Link’s eyes harbored a plethora of emotions, but regardless, they stayed locked on Rhett’s. “Are you okay?”

Rhett blinked. “Yeah,” he decided, placing his trust in Link.

Although the response was shallow and exuded no promise, Link assumed his cue to begin interrogation. “Where were you?”

Immediately, Rhett was taken aback. “Where was _I?_ ” he asked, seeing the question as preposterous. “I was sitting outside the room the whole time, Link. I was waiting on you. I waited on you for thirty minutes before I couldn’t take it anymore, and when I finally went in, _you_ weren’t there!” By some marvelous strength, Rhett kept his composure.

“Because I left, Rhett!” he yelled. “I told you specifically when I walked out of the room that I was heading to the truck. You didn’t even look at me, you grunted and kept staring out the window.” There, he paused, and his gaze suddenly softened. Link’s face fell into an expression of understanding where Rhett remained immersed in confusion.

After a silent couple of seconds, the larger man crossed his arms. Link’s eyes traced the outline of his shirt, and finally, he spoke: “You don’t remember,” his voice was low.

Rhett shook his head, followed by a round tear that rolled reluctantly down his cheek. Consciously, he’d been in a state of disorientation since that morning, where he essentially fainted at the kitchen table and faced the embodiment of his anxieties in a lucid dream. With that in mind, he then remembered what Louis had told him: _You’re in and out like a radio signal._ Perhaps the statement was more severe than he initially realized, but even so, he held the same slumped pose with his knees pressed into Link’s and masked his thoughts behind a desolate stare.

The discovery drained Link of all positivity, but he somehow managed to hold himself together. With a pair of glossy eyes piercing Rhett’s, he flashed an empty smile. “You’re not okay. Not even close, are you?”

The blond huffed. “I guess not,” he admitted.

“Rhett,” the other man began in a whisper, which gradually increased in volume. “You’re one of the smartest, most curious, most philosophical people I’ve ever met. And I love that so much about you,” Link took Rhett’s hand once more. “But damn, does it backfire.”

Once again, Rhett’s vision became cloudy, each eye sprouting a tear onto his waterline. He didn’t say a word, but simply hid his face behind his hands and scrunched into the most compact ball he could arrange himself into. For just a moment, the world was dark and cold and lonely – but the feeling vanished entirely when the warmth of Link’s embrace wrapped around his back and pulled him forward. The smaller man’s hands clasped behind him, and Rhett fell sheepishly onto his torso.

Soon, Link shifted so his back was adjacent to the wall, Rhett lying stiffly against him. He draped a weak arm over his friend’s shoulders. “Rhett?” his voice sounded, emanating a particular sweetness. He waited until the blond looked up before continuing. “You’ve got your mind on too much. _Way_ too much. And it’s affecting you more than you realize.”

Rhett sighed. “This shouldn’t be about me right now,” he mumbled with a rasp. With that statement, the facts began to reoccur to him, and as the moisture of Link’s damp clothing seeped into his own, so did an exponential guilt that panged his heart.

“Yes it should!” Link contended. “Look, I know it’s not your fault for overthinking. I know you care, and you know what? That means the world to me – more than I could even begin to explain. But,” his voice hitched, “if I can’t reciprocate, then all we’ve got is a one-sided relationship. And I don’t want that.”

Blinking away another tear, Rhett nonchalantly swiped a hand across his cheek. “I get what you’re saying, I understand, but – Link, we can’t take this feeling by feeling. If we do that it’s just gonna be chaos. We’ve got to take it situation by situation, you get what I’m saying? I’m plenty willing to sacrifice some of my happiness if you’re having a hard time, but that should go without me having to talk about _me_ –”

“This is a situation, Rhett, how are you not able to see that?!” Link yelled, forcing Rhett to flinch. The brunet hoisted himself out of position and sat crisscross in front of the larger man, whose cowering eyes had widened in fear of admonition. Upon glancing at him, Link’s expression fell into a more merciful one, and he proceeded to reach a hand behind Rhett’s back. “Listen,” he said apologetically, “I just don’t want you to hurt. That’s so important to me.”

Rhett’s gaze wandered tiredly to the floor. _That’s exactly how I feel,_ he wanted to say, but with greater things to worry about he fell silent. He pondered Link’s innermost thoughts – was Rhett _truly_ the most prominent concern at this moment? On one hand, he surely hoped not – how terrible he’d feel if he was the pinnacle source of Link’s anxiety…

On the other hand, however, he prayed to God that everything else had swept away with the tempest, and the only thing left on Link’s list was to deal with Rhett’s petty emotions. The latter was unlikely, but the most comforting when all was considered.

Time had begun to carry as much efficiency as of a ball of twine, wadding up and knotting into inconceivable configurations. Upon one plane was the present, where Rhett existed and dealt with current circumstances as best as he could with Link’s security as his primary incentive – but, he found, his heart’s greatest content was elsewhere. He yearned simply for a state of relaxation, but wedged inside the safe haven of his own mind was a bottomless pit of the most enervating energy he’d ever possessed. It burned him constantly with intrusive thoughts that reminded him of only the worst case scenarios – and so he opted to silence them by actively keeping his mind on other things. However, this led him down a winding road of exhaustion, and it very quickly occurred to him that no solution was better than the other.

So in order to feel better, if just for a moment, he would allow his anxieties to dissipate and channel into more pleasant thoughts. Sometimes, it took just a spark to set a sequence of memories afire, but other times it required a concerted effort – and indeed, this was one of those times. He was so lost within his labyrinthine mind, turning corner after daunting corner until he reached a dead end and was left to start over from square one. In the front of his mind were thoughts of the present situation, where he’d just spent five guilty minutes bawling into the chest of his best friend, who was infinitely more broken than himself…

And soon, when the culpability began to eat him from the inside out, Rhett became starved of comfort and stumbled all at once into desperation. Without a second notion, he called fervently to the heavens above within the silence of his own thoughts:

_Take me back to Los Angeles_

_Take me back to Lillington_

_Take me to Raleigh…_

_To Harnett County…_

_To Buies Creek…_

He traveled back as far as he could remember – to the simpler times, where his greatest worries consisted of staying inside the lines of a coloring book and putting his shoes on the right feet – but it soon became evident that this tactic would also be to no avail. The fact was that every prominent memory that came to him consisted of Link, and no matter how hard Rhett would try to distract himself, he couldn’t change the man’s proclivity to pull him back to his feet – and even if he could, why would he? Perhaps, Rhett reasoned, he’d grown so accustom to being Link’s guardian that any faltering on his behalf was a failure. At the very least, he wished to remain stoic, but just as anyone else he often fell victim to his own troubles… which, most of the time, involved Link anyway. And right there he was with open arms, in the most convoluted switching of roles that Rhett had ever seen. With tears streaming down his face, a lump formed in his throat and expanded ruthlessly to his lungs.

_Anywhere – Anywhere but here…_

_“Rhett!”_

At the sound of his name, the shrunken man finally arose from his hunched stature and landed a pair of bloodshot eyes on his caller. He found himself on his knees, the pads of his hands pressed flat against the floor. The next feeling was brutal – as his chest ached with an unrelenting flame in his lungs, a terrible pain struck him in the same area, to which he responded by doubling over and inhaling a sudden gasp. It was quick to disappear, however, and Rhett brushed it off as a byproduct of stress.

“ _Rhett,_ ” the choked voice repeated into his ear. Link’s two arms wrapped stiffly around him, eventually coaxing Rhett’s head into his shoulder. With a sob in his throat, the smaller man spoke in a whisper: “ _You’re losing it, brother…_ ”

Suddenly, the roof above them sounded with raindrops that drilled heavily atop the metal, and the corridor became dim. Wind ripped vehemently outside the window as Rhett shot up with haste to look through the tempered glass. Everything outside was black and the only source of luminance was the soft, yellow light overhead, which showered them both. Rhett swiped a hand over his forehead. “You know Link… It’s just been a hell of a day,” he simply declared.

The other man nodded. “I know it, brother. I know,” he paused, blinking away a single tear before looking to Rhett. “I’ve never seen you like this before, man. I mean, you’ve always been pensive, and you’ve tended to get lost in your own agenda, but – _never_ to this extent.”

Rhett’s lips flattened. “I don’t mean to worry you, Link. Especially not now,” he said quietly. “And I can’t promise you this won’t be the most selfish thing I’ve ever said, but… this whole situation, it’s got me messed up, too. It feels like last night was a decade ago, things are happening so fast – but the fact of the matter is, Link, it’s not even been twenty-four hours since the pier. I _can’t_ let it go, and it’s worried me to death – but, I guess the universe has it so if one of us is messed up, then hell, so is the other one.” There, his expression began to contort, allowing a bereft smile to surface. “I’ve tried so hard to hold it together for you, buddy. But I guess right now, I’m admitting defeat.”

A yellow glare was present in Link’s eye. He shook his head surely, watching Rhett with vigilance as he seemed to analyze his innermost feelings in one go. “No, no, no,” he whispered. “Rhett, why do you think one failure means you haven’t succeeded on all accounts?”

For a moment, Rhett considered – and of course, landed on one particular conclusion. “Where do you think we’d be today if we weren’t perfectionists? You’re the same way and you know it,” he lightly scolded.

Link appeared to bite his tongue, essentially speaking through clenched teeth. “I’ve never once put myself at legitimate risk for the sake of a goal. You, on the other hand,” he gestured, “you feel obligated to make these detrimental sacrifices when it’s not even worth it.”

With that, Rhett’s brow rose and his mouth fell slightly open – and then, when it seemed the world had drowned him of justification, his heart’s wick caught defensively aflame. He cocked his head to the side and placed a flat hand on Link’s chest, drawing his fingers together on the fabric. “Your safety and happiness come before mine. That’s charity, Link.”

The other man’s expression made Rhett’s stomach drop – _No, Rhett, it’s stupidity,_ it seemed to yell back at him, but Link’s actions told another story. He all but fell into Rhett, arms clasped tight around his neck, and kept his chin tucked above the larger man’s shoulder. “I hope you know that I appreciate you more than I let on,” he said.

Rhett placed a careful hand on Link’s back, feeling the bones of his ribs as he rubbed in circles. “I just wish I could do something,” he mumbled beside his ear.

Link expelled a small laugh. “You’ve done plenty, Rhett. I honestly can’t thank you enough.” His words were soft and blended in perfectly with the winds, which had slowed to a breeze. Rhett’s nerves were calmed by the sound of rain that pelted respectfully on the rooftop.

The two remained in each other’s embrace for quite some time, but eventually they pulled away and sat crisscross in the floor. Rhett looked his friend up and down, noticing the severity with which he portrayed himself – his eyes were marginally sunken, clad with a pair of glasses whose grimy lenses were coated in fog and dust. Additionally, he looked thinner, and the way he sat caused his collarbone to protrude – but overriding everything that worried Rhett was the man’s freshly tousled hair, along with his damp clothing and still gleaming skin. Link’s brow furrowed in concern, but he quickly realized the reason for Rhett’s evaluation and pursed his lips.

As an authentic smile stretched across his face, Rhett lifted his hand to shift some of Link’s hair behind his ear. “I want to talk about you, now, so let’s start here,” he said with finality.

The smaller man’s eyes darted once to the floor before looking back to Rhett. With the spotlight on himself, Link grimaced – and for the first time ever, Rhett was unable to read his expression.


	23. Chapter 23

It seemed as though an eternity passed before Link finally spoke, which left Rhett to suffer in his own predictions until a clear answer was given. Link’s tongue flicked out to wet his lips, gaze trailing solemnly to the floor as he pieced together exactly what he wanted to say. In a tense maneuver, he pinched the bridge of his nose and clenched his eyes shut.

“Rhett,” he began, pure sincerity resonating from his expression, “I want to preface this by saying everything’s okay. It might not sound like it, but just trust me. I wouldn’t lie to you about that.” He paused for a moment, awaiting the other man’s affirmative nod before continuing.

“I’ll have to be careful about how I word this, but – alright,” he sighed. “Basically what happened is I walked out of the building and was gonna make my way to the truck. Well, first of all, it didn’t occur to me it was locked and you had the keys,” he said with empty humor, “but, just as soon as I walked out the door, this overwhelming sickness hit me. Like, ‘I’m inevitably going to throw up’ sickness. So naturally I run away from the sidewalk, out from under any awning that was protecting me from getting drenched – ended up making it to the fence on the other side of the parking lot and vomited. After that I started to get pretty weak. My knees went wobbly, stomach was in knots – the whole shebang. And then,” he quietly added, “I… blacked out.”

Rhett’s eyes widened at the revelation as his heart plunged into a pit of sorrow. _All while I sat there staring at a wall,_ he thought in shame. Instead of turning the conversation back to himself, however, he furrowed his brow thoughtfully and pressed on. “Oh, goodness, Link…” he nearly whispered. After a few seconds passed, Rhett noticed an elevation on the other man’s forehead. He brushed the bangs from Link’s face to reveal a uniform scratch at his hairline, crusted with dark granules of dried blood. Rubbing a finger across the area, Rhett ridded the skin of dirt and moisture. He looked intently back to Link, whose eyes were almost apologetic. “What made you do that, brother?”

The brunet shrugged. “I just got so lightheaded. Everything in my field of vision started to shroud into darkness,” he offered. “I’ve felt a little rough all day, really, but I’m sure it’ll pass in time.”

Searching Link’s face for further information proved to be difficult as Rhett’s eyes trailed down the rest of his tattered body – by this point, his hair and clothes were somewhat dry, but they hung from his bones like ill-fitting towels draped upon a metal rack. Only two full days had passed since Link stumbled into a downward spiral, but the time had not treated him well. He looked thinner, especially his face, which was shadowed beneath a reddish pair of newly prominent cheekbones. In addition, his energy was visibly sapped, and it seemed to be taking every fiber of his being to hold himself in an upright position. How Rhett hadn’t taken this into account was beyond him – and with that, an avalanche of guilt pummeled his heart. Instead of falling asunder, though, he allowed himself an empty smile. “You don’t look like you feel too good,” he remarked.

Link didn’t say anything, but simply nodded. His body was weak, and it shook with the fragility of a house whose walls could crumble at any moment. Even breathing appeared to be an exhausting task for him – the rise and fall of his chest was slow, and each breath out was paired with a faint groan. As Rhett began to notice the magnitude of his friend’s frailty, he scooted himself closer to Link and wrapped his arms over his shoulders. Link’s head fell faithfully into the larger man’s chest, and it was at that point Rhett realized the gravity of the situation.

With a hand buried within the back of his companion’s hair, Rhett sifted the raven strands between his fingers. “Link,” he spoke into the man’s ear, “this might sound a little odd – crazy, even – but maybe you ought to spend the night here. Get your strength up to par.” The blond swept his hand up and down Link’s back. “I’d hate to see anything happen to my best friend…”

Link’s arms hung loosely around Rhett, face smothered in his chest. “No,” his raspy and muffled voice contended. “Things are getting better. It’s okay.” With that, Rhett sighed. _So stubborn, so stubborn…_

“I really think you should, buddy. Just in case something happens and there’s nothing I can do.” The end of Rhett’s sentence forced him to choke up – was this really where they were? At what point had it become necessary that he start worrying for Link’s physical health? So much kept crashing all at once, festering in anxiety until the next seed sprouted just to spat out a brand new predicament. It was an endless loop of terrible things, intensifying beneath the weight of a thousand other dilemmas that had yet to be solved. Even so, when Rhett could hear the booming sound of thunder crashing just outside the window, his clutch on Link remained loyal.

Suddenly, Link strengthened the grip he held on Rhett’s back and began to shake his head violently. “ _I can’t_ ,” he insisted, a lump in his throat.

Rhett was understandably confused by the man’s reaction, but opted to console him. He bent over to plant a kiss on Link’s head, briskly rubbing circles into the top of his back. “ _Yes you can_ ,” he reassured in a low volume.

Curling further into the taller man, Link’s weary bones gave out and he collapsed into Rhett’s lap. A desperate expression donned his face, eyes clenched shut and mouth jarred open. His head crashed heavily against Rhett. “ _No, you don’t understand –_ ” Link managed to say. “ _You can’t leave me here alone – You just can’t!_ ”

At that point, time ceased to continue. Rhett’s stomach dropped to the floor, leaving him momentarily speechless as his eyes were essentially pried open. “Oh, Link…” he finally stammered, “I’m not leaving you here alone. You think I’d just walk away having you on my mind every waking moment?” He squeezed Link against his body as close as he possibly could. “If there’s anything I swear by, Link, I want you to mark my words: there’s never gonna come a day I won’t be right beside you. Do you believe that?”

Link veered his head upwards, then nodded.

Rhett smiled. “You know they couldn’t kick me out of here with the devil and his army, don’t you?” Once again, he grabbed a handful of Link’s hair and began twisting it around his fingers. “I’d never let ‘em. We’re a package deal, you know – as if that hadn’t been established.”

A subtle grin graced Link’s lips. “Listen, Rhett, I know I’m hardheaded and everything, but… honestly, I’m just so tired. I’ll be okay, really.”

The pure defeat in his voice made Rhett sigh, chin digging into the top of Link’s head. “I know I should trust your judgment, brother, I know…” he said. “It’s just so hard to do that when in the back of my mind, there’s something more at stake. I’ve got to be so careful. If I ever lost you –”

“Rhett!” the other man interrupted, and pushed himself up despite his condition. “It doesn’t matter how much you think is at stake –”

“Yes it does!” Rhett retorted, tossing his arms into the air. “You know I trust you – with all my heart. But when it comes down to your safety, concern starts to override that, and that’s because I care!”

Link folded his arms over his knees, allowing an exasperated sigh to be expelled from his lips. As he looked up to Rhett, a sinister glare reflected from his eye. “I don’t have it in me to argue right now,” he coldly declared. “Just take me outside.”

Rhett chewed on his lip. His friend’s contention was about as convincing as that of a brick wall, yet for some reason Rhett found there was no sense in arguing with him. Lips pursed, he fixed his eyes on the tile between them and offered a hand. Link hesitantly accepted, and the two of them arose from the floor with numbness in their legs. Rhett’s grip was tight enough to pierce the brunet’s skin. To loose himself from the clutch, Link wrapped one arm around the larger man’s back and pressed their bodies together. It was comfortable, Rhett discovered, so he hooked his own arm beneath Link’s for added fortitude.

As they strolled down the hall, Link rested heavily against Rhett, seeming to carry just ounces of his own weight. This was disconcerting, and Rhett wished desperately that the man would have just _listened_ – but alas, the word was seldom in his friend’s vocabulary, let alone his disposition. Link was oftentimes one of the most obstinate people Rhett had ever met, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out why. He had fears, most of which were irrational, but nonetheless distressing, and so he avoided such situations at all costs. Perhaps, Rhett assumed, it was one of those times…

And maybe, Rhett _was_ overreacting. After all, Link would always eventually clue him in on things, so it wasn’t unlikely that he truly was okay. Some of his actions made him wonder, though – the dependency in which he had attached himself to Rhett’s side, the indolent steps he took to carry just a fraction of his weight, the laborious expansion of his lungs with each tireless breath… it all made him seem so rundown, so empty of incentive to continue _living_. Rhett kept a vigilant eye on him, though, and lugged the man through the dim corridors alongside an equivalent heft of anxiety. It had indeed been one of the roughest nights they’d ever experienced collectively – and at this point, the only thing they had to look forward to was the stale atmosphere of a hotel room and the acrid scent of cheap coffee.

Luckily, the rain had stopped for the most part by the time they’d reached the outside – a few drops here and there, but by no means weather to fret about. Rhett gave a halfhearted smile to the moonlit horizon, observing the way the stars reflected from his friend’s soft hair. He scanned the rest of Link’s body and found a tremor in his knees, to which he responded by coaxing him gently into the bench that sat almost strategically behind them. The breeze was perfect – North Carolina had the most beautiful autumn of any state Rhett had ever seen. Reds and oranges littered the parking lot, stuck to the asphalt like bits of glued construction paper. It was all the simple things, like the calmness with which the wind fell upon his bare arms, and the swiftness of oxygen as it fueled his breath, that made Rhett feel more at peace than he had in years. Link, too, seemed to find solace in this, and propped his feet upon the bench’s wooden surface. With his arm as a barrier, the small man planted his head gingerly into Rhett’s lap.

As if instinctually, Rhett once again began to play with Link’s hair. Darkness settled around them both, but it was the warmth of his friend’s presence that kept Rhett still. He could hear only two things – the wind as it drifted through the leaves of neighboring trees, and Link’s hushed breathing. His fingers wandered down the brunet’s slender arm and ever so slowly traveled to his hip. Judging by the way his body curled and pressed against Rhett’s, Link was almost asleep. When the blond swept a hand up to his chest, however, the smaller man was jarred awake.

“ _Rhett_ ,” he whined, compacting himself into a tighter ball in the other man’s lap.

“ _Sorry_ ,” Rhett mumbled and shook his head. “You alright?”

“Mhm.”

A distant bellow of thunder rumbled from behind the building, sending a chill down Rhett’s spine. Carefully, he slid his hand underneath Link’s shoulder and persuaded him to raise up – which, surprisingly, he managed to do mostly on his own. Even so, he crashed his head on Rhett’s shoulder and crinkled his brow.

Rhett wrapped his tense arm behind Link’s back. “Think you can make it to the truck?”

Despite a bout of hesitation, he lifted his head and nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be okay.”

“Alright,” Rhett said conclusively, intensifying the grip he had on Link’s shoulders. “Get to your feet. I’ve gotcha.”

From there, Link was docile and allowed himself to be led down the sidewalk past the swaying trees. He didn’t retaliate when Rhett stepped onto the blacktop, either, where the combination of rainfall and dusk made for the darkest surface he’d ever lain eyes on. His trust was solid enough that not a single muscle in his body was tense, and with that Rhett’s heart grew warm. The submissiveness of Link’s body slung against his own gave him the strength to carry twice his weight, despite the intermittent shocks of pain surging down his back. Rhett’s steps were cautious and slow, never knowing exactly where his feet were relative to the ground – but nonetheless, Link’s heartbeat was steady and faithful in the taller man’s guidance.

Eventually, though, they made it. Silver cascades of moonlight reflected from the truck’s hood as they approached it, and upon reaching the vehicle, Rhett briefly hugged Link against his chest and steadied himself against the grill. The two of them took a breather for the better half of a minute, Link’s bony fingers gripping into the skin of Rhett’s arm. His cheek pressed flatly into the larger man’s chest.

The scent of Link’s hair flew swiftly into Rhett’s nostrils – a combination of product and soil, which made for a fresh yet earthy fragrance. Rhett pinched the damp fabric of his friend’s shirt, his touch tender, and yanked it softly down his shoulder. Link shivered.

“ _C’mon_ ,” the blond’s gruff voice sounded. “ _One step at a time, brother. I’m right here._ ”

There was a newfound burst of strength in Link’s step before he took lead and climbed into the truck. His fingers intertwined with Rhett’s for extra stability, shaking ever so slightly as he clambered to the seat. When his friend was finally relaxed, Rhett pulled his hand carefully away and placed his palm on the outside of the door to close it. He then walked around the front and, without difficulty, hopped into the driver’s seat.

A subtle glint in his eye, Rhett craned his neck to look at his friend. “You feeling okay?”

Link nodded. “Tired,” he said simply as his eyelids pressed together.

“That’s fine, brother,” the larger man affirmed. “Hang tight and I’ll get us to a hotel, alright?” Rhett switched the heat on, and it billowed out of the vents like fire.

“Alright,” the exhausted man whispered. As Rhett started the truck, Link’s head fell backwards and his mouth opened wide. When he looked to the passenger’s side, the blond couldn’t help but grin – there was something so pure about the man, his hair a mess of curls adhered to the headrest. Link’s glasses had drifted down to the bulb of his nose, and of one thing Rhett was certain: it was the most peaceful he’d been in days.


	24. Chapter 24

It took only a matter of minutes for Rhett to find a hotel sign erected in luminance against the charcoal sky. By that point, his eyes were nearly glued shut, and he’d have given the world to fall asleep right then – but instead he powered through and parked the truck as close to the red brick building as he could. Link’s head rested on his own shoulder with the consciousness of a doornail, so Rhett opted to leave him be until it was necessary to wake him.

The blond took it upon himself to pay for the room and lug his and Link’s bags to the third floor of the building. He’d tried to negotiate with the concierge in favor of a room closer to the ground, but the muggy glaze of her crystal eyes knew no empathy – so for the sake of brevity, Rhett surrendered to her authority. After snatching the key from her polished fingers, he ambled past the dreaded _Out of Order_ banner plastered to the elevator door. _Leave it to Days Inn to destroy what’s left of my knees_ , he thought as he reached the platform following the first flight of stairs. There was a numbness in his joints, and with each step he became increasingly more breathless – but he attributed it to stress and exhaustion, just as he did with any other ailment he’d undergone in his thirties. The cycle was never ending.

Rhett’s back ached with a galvanizing intensity, each movement accompanied by an almost grinding sensation in his vertebrae. As soon as he unlocked the room’s door, he scuttled across the carpet and plunked backwards onto the bed. To finally lie down felt so good to him – as his spine began to decompress atop the springy mattress, his eyes flicked from place to place along the walls. The digital clock on the adjacent nightstand read just 9:13, its laser red print branded into his vision. As comfortable as he was, he couldn’t help but keep his mind on one thing: Link was still outside, undoubtedly sleeping in the Silverado’s leather seats with his mouth jarred open. Just then, a hushed rumble of thunder entered Rhett’s ear, and his eyes peeled open and settled on the window. Everything was black excluding a solitary streetlight, whose dim color blazed ferociously against the atmosphere. The North Carolina sky that was typically littered in constellations and the silhouettes of lively pines had been concealed behind the shadows of a thousand clouds. Rhett’s heart dropped.

The air that filled his lungs was stale enough to poison his incentive, but despite this he shot up from the bed and ran a hand through his greasy hair. Rising to his feet proved to be more difficult, though – there was an arthritic shock in his ankles and knees that begged him to just lie down, to just try again tomorrow…

But the pain was not enough to stop him, so he tossed it out the window to plummet three stories down and shatter on the asphalt. Rhett shelved any further discomfort in the back of his mind and took short, careful steps out of the room.

By the grace of God, it seemed, he reached the foyer. The clerk had disappeared and the lights had been eerily dimmed – on the desk sat a candle whose flame danced beneath the wind of a ceiling fan. The fire cast a fascination in Rhett’s eye. He straightened his posture to mimic that of a two by four and promptly marched across the carpet. The glass door had fogged to translucency, but the scene became clear as he pushed the door open. He then heard rain dropping onto the tin roof – and slowly but surely, the sound began to crescendo. Swiftness in his step, Rhett darted to the truck.

When Rhett opened the passenger’s door, the Silverado’s headlights lit up. Link was almost fictitiously disoriented – his head flung in Rhett’s direction with the momentum of a whip. Then, the brunet’s brow rose from behind his bangs to indicate a sense of comprehension, however minute it was. Instead of questioning it, though, Rhett placed a hand on his forearm. “Hey buddy,” he vacantly smiled. “Come on, now – I know you’re a little out of it, and that’s okay. I’d carry you, but my back’s shot.”

Link’s strength was in and out. At that point, luckily, he appeared to feel fairly well judging by the ease with which he slung his feet out of the vehicle. “Everything okay?” his forehead scrunched.

“Fine,” the blond stammered, offering a hand. “We can talk once we’re in the room. Just take it easy, brother. We’ve got three floors to climb.”

“ _Gracious_ ,” Link muttered. He hopped down to the blacktop and shut the door, fingers intertwined with Rhett’s.

“Yeah, I’m sorry.” Rhett was blatantly out of breath, to which Link’s concerned expression shot him a glance – but to lighten the atmosphere, Rhett wrapped an arm around his friend’s shoulders and proceeded to walk in the direction of the building. Link reciprocated by draping an arm around Rhett’s waist.

The first flight of stairs was significantly more daunting for Rhett than it was Link. Whatever made him give out so quickly had him ruthlessly by the reigns; Link’s light and bubbly steps were comparatively speedier, leaving the taller man to rest nonchalantly against the rail. He tried to pass it off as observing the artfully rusted walls, eyes darting from brick to brick. The smaller man was halfway up the next staircase before he realized his companion hadn’t followed – and so he turned and hopped gingerly back down to the platform. His teeth poked out into a smile. “Maybe I ought to be carrying _you_ ,” he said playfully.

Rhett huffed a pained laughter. “Maybe you should. I’m a bit old for this.”

Link rolled his eyes. “You’ve hardly got eight months on me, Rhett. What’s giving you so much trouble?”

“Beats me,” he shrugged. “I’ll be alright once we make it upstairs. But I vow to you, if the fire alarm goes off in the middle of the night, I’m jumping straight out the window. And you’re coming with me.”

“Hmm,” Link voiced, unable to find humor in his friend’s statement. His cerulean eyes scanned the floor, and then up Rhett’s body as he strode to his side. Link placed a hand on the middle of Rhett’s back. “I think we’ll be okay,” he smiled.

There was a hint of uncomfortable laughter in Rhett’s response: “I think you may be right.”

As Link pushed on his spine, Rhett was persuaded up the steps one by one. He continued slowly, accompanied by Link’s reassuring remarks as his feet clacked against the plastic. “Don’t rush yourself,” the brunet insisted in a whisper. “Take your time, now – we’ll make it.”

And sure enough they did. Rhett’s knees nearly buckled on the final couple of steps, but soon he reached the third floor and proceeded to scuttle across the tile with a fist clenching the tail of Link’s shirt. His breathing was heavy, and it felt as though his lungs were being pricked by needles. Despite his plethora of aches and discomforts, though, he jammed a key into the doorknob and pushed inwards. There was a creak to the hinges, which immediately indicated a lack of maintenance. Rhett sighed.

To his surprise, they were welcomed by a collection of white washed walls and a fragrance of pine, which he’d evidently paid no attention to upon first entrance. The ceiling was quite a bit higher than Rhett remembered it to be – and in addition, the carpet and bedsheets were adorned in stark hues of emerald and olive. The aesthetic was particularly ornate, which pleased Rhett, whose teeth bared from under his lips into a tired smile. Link followed loyally behind, and the two of them headed for the single bed which sat against the middle of the back wall.

Rhett was first to lie down, kicking his shoes off as he climbed on top of the covers. Link, too, dropped himself onto the bed with his face brushing against the cotton sheets. The two of them clambered towards the headboard and eventually rested on a couple of hard pillows that reminded Rhett of flour sacks – but even so, it was infinitely more comfortable than anything else he could imagine.

The smaller man faced Rhett, his eyes tired and lips pale. He dropped his forearm onto Rhett’s ribcage and stroked up and down the curve of his spine. “You feel any better?” Link asked, his voice like velvet.

“For an old man,” Rhett joked.

“Oh, yeah?” A perfect, white triangle of moonlight shone from the window on Link’s nose. “That’s good, brother. I think at this point you should just try and sleep it off.”

That was Link’s solution for everything – _sleep it off_. For just a moment, the blond absorbed the situation; Link furrowed his brow and looked intently – almost desolately – at him. With a great suddenness, Rhett’s heart bulleted into his throat, and his eyes cautiously peeled open wide. The sheer number of premonitions and realizations that had occurred to him that day was enough to validate just how eventful it truly was. His chest tightened and his stomach lurched.

Before Rhett could say anything, though, Link smiled as if to shuffle his thoughts and flipped himself over to face the other wall. He’d seen the expression on Rhett’s face – surely – but it was as though he’d opted to put the conversation on hold for tomorrow’s agenda in a sly attempt to silence his friend.

Rhett’s patience, however, was thinning.

“Link,” he whispered, “I know you’re tired, I know. I’m tired too –”

The brunet curled into a tight ball, causing him to scoot towards the bed’s edge. Rhett grimaced and hooked an arm beneath Link’s, pulling him slowly back by the chest.

“We need to talk, brother,” Rhett declared from behind his friend’s ear. “I don’t think either one of us is gonna be able to sleep tonight if we don’t get the elephant out of the room.”

Link’s chest deflated into a defeated sigh. “What elephant, Rhett?” he spoke, face halfway jammed in his pillow.

A pause. “Turn around here and talk to me,” he said coldly. “I’m not gonna have a conversation with the back of your head.”

With so little as a second of consideration, Link submissively complied and hoisted himself up. He flopped weightlessly to his other side, his eyes drooping. Rhett adjusted himself so his head was upright and resting into his palm. With his other hand, he reached for Link’s nose and plucked the glasses from his face to place on the nightstand. They were both clearly exhausted – and Link oblivious – but nonetheless, they both smiled upon looking at each other. “Alright,” Link chuckled, “what’s so important?”

Slowly, Rhett’s upbeat expression began to wane, and his gaze trailed down the seams of the bedsheets as he spoke. “You never said anything about your mom,” he quietly revealed. “Louis told me a few things, but – why haven’t you talked about it?”

“Well,” Link sheepishly grinned, “let me remind you that the first I saw of you after I’d talked to her, I found you broke down next to a water fountain.”

Rhett bit his lip. “Yeah, I mean you’ve got a point – but now we’re here, and everything else is fine, yet you’re acting like you don’t want to talk about it.”

“Rhett, I’m not refusing to talk,” Link argued, his tone calm. “Listen man, we’ve both had a very, very emotionally exhausting day. Between staying awake and keeping my sanity intact, my body’s about had it. And just look at you,” he gestured weakly.

“Okay,” Rhett trailed. “Well look at it this way, then – the faster you clue me in, the faster we’ll both get to sleep.”

Link’s lip jutted out in affirmation. “Sounds like a deal,” he said with finality. His tired eyes locked onto Rhett, whose dimly lit face expressed invitation. “Uh… I guess Louis probably told you the technical stuff, right? That’s just how he thinks.”

Rhett nodded. “Just tell me how it went down for you.”

“Right,” Link replied, looking to the sheets with a surprisingly cheerful countenance. “Well I can definitely tell you one thing – she’s just as sweet as she ever was. So careful and ginger with each move. We talked for a while, too, about what I’ve been up to and all these people in my life. And I know she’s the kindest woman on this planet and probably wouldn’t have the courage say anything if this wasn’t so – but Rhett, she looked at me like she knew. She didn’t say much, but when I mentioned you and Christy and the kids… I swear to God, she _knew_.”

The larger man furrowed his brow. “You’re being awful vague,” he remarked.

In response, Link huddled closer to Rhett with his forehead against the other man’s elbow. “I described you to her, dude. I described Christy and Lily and Lincoln and Lando, and your family too. She said she was glad, and her eyes looked so happy, Rhett – you should’ve seen ‘em.”

Rhett smiled. “Is that right?”

“Yes!” he replied with buoyancy. “I’m not making it up – seriously. When Louis texted me and said it was looking better, of course I had my hopes held high. But I still walked into that room with my tail between my legs. That’s probably just my disposition at work, though. I _am_ awfully tense,” he laughed.

“That you are.” Rhett extended an arm to wrap behind Link’s back, which pulled him slightly closer to his chest. “I want nothing more than for you to be okay. You know that, don’t you?”

Link’s head curled into Rhett’s body, hair brushing against his arm. “You’ve made that so clear over the past few days, Rhett. You’ve been a tremendous blessing to me. I honestly cannot thank you enough.”

There was an elongated silence that allowed Link’s head to crash completely into Rhett. The blond found comfort in this and accordingly fell backwards to let his own head drop against the pillow. Finally, he adjusted his arm to envelop Link’s shoulders, and pressed his lips firmly into his friend’s cheek. “I know it’s been rough, brother. But now, it looks like things are truly, genuinely getting better. I’ve placed all my faith in you. You’re okay.”

Link turned to his side and draped his left arm over Rhett’s waist. “You know, you’ve always had this way of channeling even the worst situations into positivity when I can’t find the first thing to smile about,” he said. “That’s one of the things I admire the most about you.”

Despite how dark the room was, Rhett knew his companion could see the overwhelming blush that swallowed his cheeks. He chuckled nervously. “I’m able to do that because I know you’re a fighter. Even though you don’t see it, Link, you’ve toughed through some crazy things. It’s so very empowering to me to just watch you exist.” _Your own positivity is so boundless. You don’t need me to tell you that._

_You pulled yourself out of the water._

_I just took care of the aftermath._

“You’re always taking care of me,” the smaller man digressed.

_Why does he treat me like I’m Superman?_

The thoughts continued drilling into Rhett’s mind one by one, but he soon decided he was far too exhausted to put up with them – and ever so quickly, he shut down the night’s conversation with a declaration:

“I love you to death, Link. I promise I’ll never stop.”


	25. Chapter 25

The next morning, Rhett awoke in the unfamiliar state of tranquility. He was on his right side, facing the wall, where pink and golden rays of sunshine passed through the dusty window and caused him to crinkle his nose. The clock on the nightstand read 6:39 – but there was no chance of falling back asleep, so he took a deep breath and jammed the palms of his hands into the bed.

As he prepared to push himself up, however, he was forced back down to the mattress by a dead weight.

Rhett’s head flopped back onto the firm pillow. With one hand, he cleared the crust from his eyes. He craned his neck to look over his shoulder, only to discover the limp arm of his best friend wedged beneath his own, just above a stray leg that had intertwined with his thighs. Instead of flinching away, though, he smiled – it was so, delightfully sweet to have Link hold him so close when just days before he nearly lost him altogether. Ever so slowly, Rhett pressed his back into the other man’s chest and allowed his head to fall against his shoulder... and for a few serene seconds, all was silent.

But then, Rhett could hear a distinct huff of laughter from Link’s nose. He fell away from his friend’s embrace and turned to look at him – a crimson blush engulfed Link’s cheeks, accompanied by a smile so soft the air between them turned to silk.

“Morning, buddy,” the larger man spoke, his lashes still stuck together.

Link’s expression never faded. With little hesitation, he placed his hand over the other man’s heart and scooted against his body. Rhett’s arm fell behind his back. “I just want to stay here indefinitely,” he said simply.

Rhett let out an airy laugh. “As much as I’d love to, my back can’t take much more of these beds. And plus,” he added, “I’m _starving._ ”

“Me too.” Link shut his eyes and turned his head so his cheek squished into Rhett’s shoulder. A few pieces of his glossy hair were tangled into the blond’s beard, which tickled his scalp – but it was the most relaxed he’d been in days. The sunlight sprinkled sheets of warmth onto Rhett’s face, and the two of them huddled together above the blankets, victimized by one another’s embrace.

Eventually, the immobility began to take its toll on Rhett’s back – and as though lightning had struck in his spine, he flinched inward. He snatched his arm out from behind his alarmed companion and bolted into an upright position as his feet dropped to the carpet. Link immediately followed his lead and slung an arm behind him. Their bodies pressed together.

Eyes clenched shut, Rhett slouched over the bed with his elbows on his knees. The pain itself was luckily short-lived, but a widespread discomfort lingered throughout his bones. With this, he groaned and lifted one hand to pinch the space between his eyes.

“Are you okay?”

Rhett lifted his head and looked to the left. Link’s face was barren and his eyes comparatively small – but nonetheless, a thick concern bubbled in his expression. The hunkered man cleared his throat. “Yeah,” he nodded, a rasp to his voice.

“Back trouble, huh?” With a firm hand, Link applied pressure to Rhett’s side, whose hunched stature allowed his head to fall into his friend’s shoulder.

“Yeah,” he quietly repeated. “Getting old’s no fun.”

“Believe me, I know,” Link said, a muffled snicker in his voice. “Mom told me once – the only reason you get old is because you wear yourself out being young.”

Rhett’s brow furrowed at the thought, but then his lips curled into a smile. “We did have a lot of fun in our heyday, didn’t we?” he proclaimed with nostalgia, detaching himself from Link to look into his crystal eyes.

“Of course we did!” Link marveled. “But there was a lot of dangerous stuff, too, that we should _probably_ be paying for tenfold.”

Rhett faced the ground. “Oh, without a doubt,” he agreed without contrition. “I don’t know about you, but it’s come back to bite me a little bit. But I think the memories of me and you breaking into abandoned houses and near drowning in Cape Fear are worth the exchange of a few aches and pains.”

Link’s face lit up with wistfulness, his smile unfeigned – yet, his tone was grim. “We had fun, Rhett,” his watery voice lowered, “but now we’ve gotta take care of each other.”

A dense heft of what felt like lead filled Rhett’s lungs. The conversation had drifted everywhere he hadn’t wanted to go, but this time, he hung his head and allowed it to freely continue. “I know that,” he sighed.

A pause. Link’s quickened breathing settled to a more calm state, leaving him with a timid string of words that danced on his tongue. He began by tilting his head into Rhett’s view and awaiting the man to return eye contact, his chapped lips contorting into an expression Rhett could only describe as grateful. “Rhett…” the brunet spoke. “You’ve taken excellent care of me. I cannot begin to thank you enough.”

From there, Rhett was filled to the brim with the warmth of his friend’s affirmation. A smile flashed across his face for only a second before he wrapped a careful arm around Link and buried his nose into the raven locks that lay atop his head. “I tend to be pretty good to the people I love most,” he smiled, breath intermingling with Link’s hair.

“Aw, Rhett,” the brunet whispered. His body fell limp, and he dropped calmly against the man who held him close.

Rhett twirled the longer pieces of Link’s hair around his fingers and allowed them to bounce back to his neck. The position was comfortable in more ways than one – Link’s weight had centered at the perfect spot to relieve his spine of pain, and the physical contact itself was a reminder that he was, indeed, still there. The blond’s hand crept gingerly towards the other man’s wrist, where he placed two fingers on his tender skin. _Bum-bum, bum-bum, bum-bum…_

“What are you doing?”

Rhett’s own heart skipped a beat as his eyes traced downwards to Link, whose drowsy smile mimicked his own. Rhett scrunched his mouth to the side and retracted his hand. “I’m just checking,” he finally sputtered.

“Checking?” Link’s eyebrow shot up and underneath a flap of bangs. He then hoisted himself so that he was relatively at Rhett’s height, their faces separated by just millimeters of dry air. “I’m going to be fine. I promise, Rhett. You don’t have to expend all your energy worrying about me.”

A dull throb was present throughout Rhett’s body, but it had somewhat dissipated among the consolation that emanated from Link’s touch. As he turned his head, his beard scraped the side of Link’s chin, and with that he faced the ground. “If you want the truth, I love looking out for you,” he said with candor.

Link’s nose wrinkled as a thin smile surfaced at his lips. The bedside lamp cast a reflection in his eye, which sharply glistened in puddles at his waterline – and then, Link stretched upwards just enough that he was able to land a chaste kiss at the base of Rhett’s jawline. In response, the blond tossed his head to the side with a fervent blush upon his cheeks, only to look right back to his friend’s unrelenting gaze. In the smaller man’s expression was the austerity of a hurricane – profound in its vastness, but oh so destructive. Brick by brick, Rhett’s stoical wall fell further into disrepair, and the only man to blame had his face pressed against his shoulder, staring expectantly into a pair of distant and stormy eyes.

And just as appropriately, the sky turned to grey. The lamp was now the only source of light excluding the faint bits of remaining sun scattering through the window and onto Rhett’s socked feet. Once again, with a consoling serendipity, an orchestra of raindrops littered the roof. Rhett flicked his eyes toward the clock once more – 6:50. There was just _something_ about the otherwise unfortunate weather which placed him in the confinement of four papered walls with his best friend, darkness falling deeper and deeper around them as the digital clock intermittently flashed its vermilion type. It was the atmosphere he’d grown all too accustom to, and it became reminiscent of the many hours he’d held Link so tight his arms would ache with tension. Perhaps, the rainy days were over – but Rhett’s love was powerful, and it knew no relent.

The discomfort and hunger that weighed down his body was instantly quelled when, in the stillness, a rhythmic hand rubbed circles into his back. In surprise, Rhett’s eyes squinted above a charitable smile. He took a moment to evaluate Link’s silhouette and found that he had adjusted himself to rest lowly against Rhett’s side, his eyes comfortably closed behind the solitary window to the outside world. Raindrops battered the glass.

By seven, Rhett managed to remove his sleepy friend from his side and to the center of the bed, where he himself collapsed among the disheveled blankets. Upon what he thought would be his final observation of the man that morning, he found that Link’s eyes had fluttered open into a state so careful and admiring he couldn’t help but bare his teeth in a grin. As he continued to watch Rhett, Link timidly buried his face halfway into the sheets.

No dialogue exchanged, Rhett leaned into the smaller man’s space and placed a hand on his back for leverage. Ever so slowly, he approached Link’s face, and with a smile still intact, he pecked him on the cheek. As Rhett fell away, his friend came into focus only to reveal a striking expression of his own – his lips were solemnly upturned and his eyes glistened. A plump tear was thus expelled, and it trickled down the bridge of his nose with increasing momentum. Rhett wiped it away before it had the chance to roll onto the sheet.

Link’s mouth was somewhat open, but in what emotion Rhett could not determine – so in fear of the worst, he gathered the man in his arms and allowed him to release any and all feelings he wished to relinquish. Link was quiet and graceful, the occasional sniffle breaking through, followed by Rhett’s consolation in the form of ruffling the brunet’s hair. “ _Shh,_ ” he hushed. “ _You’re okay. You’re okay._ ”

And truth be told, Rhett knew he was right.

A crisp and chill breeze traveled over the bed and settled along Link’s skin as goosebumps. For a moment he simply watched Rhett’s face with moist eyes – but finally, he bore a delighted smile, his teeth like porcelain as they reflected the dull lamplight. “I love you,” he said stupidly – but regardless, he retained the same gleeful expression.

The man’s look alone was enough to warm Rhett’s heart as though it had been cradled in a suede blanket – the words were simply a bonus. It wasn’t long before Rhett mimicked his friend’s goofy smile and pulled him into an embrace for the umpteenth time that week. There was still an ache he couldn’t satisfy for the life of him, and it was knowing that no matter how close he held Link, it _never_ felt like it was close enough. He came to realize, though, it was only a physical shortcoming…

Because now, there was calmness in Link’s body – and that told Rhett a lot of things.

Link trusted him with his own life, his reposed limbs splayed and tangled into Rhett’s. Link found solace in Rhett’s touch, and he seemed to melt like ice in his arms.

Link was authentically grateful for the extent Rhett had gone to protect him. To _save_ him.

Link respected him. He was loyal to him. He admired him. He’d laughed with him, and in the same breath, he had cried against him.

_Link loved him._

An avalanche of emotions crushed Rhett’s chest all at once and forced the breath out of his lungs. He then landed his chin on top of Link’s head, grabbing a loose fistful of ebony hair in his hand. When his breathing returned to normal, Rhett sighed and blinked away a tear that raced swiftly down his cheek. His gaze fell, and he saw the face of his best friend staring right back up at him with those tender eyes he’d fallen in love with so many years ago. Rhett’s lips trembled – but finally, he unearthed the courage to speak:

_“I love you too, Link.”_

His words were sputtered, but Link accepted them anyway and buried his forehead in the warm and bearded crevice of Rhett’s neck. Judging by the manner with which he breathed, Link fell asleep within five minutes of curling up against his friend. The innocence on his face made it difficult for Rhett to look away – but he was soon forced to by a stinging exhaustion that felt as though the sandman had cast daggers into his eyes.

Rhett expelled an outwards breath of contentment. For the first time in decades, he fell asleep with ease.

 

 

_The End_


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